Chuck was born on March 4, 1933 in Minneapolis, MN. He attended schools in Minneapolis, enjoying gymnastics and becoming a city-champion swimmer. He married the girl next door and love of his life, Joan Margy Pearson, on June 16, 1956. He is survived by Joan, their four children, Brant (Calla) Stanford, Barb Stanford, Paula (Grant) Adkins and Stacy (Bobby) Barnes, and seven grandchildren: Peyton Stanford, Lane Stanford, Sydney Stanford, Anna Adkins, Ava Adkins, Reilly Barnes and Blake Barnes. He is also survived by his and Joan’s loving extended family in Minnesota, and close friends in Illinois.
Chuck approached life with know-how and a can-do spirit that permeated his profession, and inspired those around him. He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota with combined degrees in business and engineering, and a proud veteran of the United States Air Force serving in Europe and North Africa as a member of the US Missile Program in the 1950s. He began his career at Cutler Hammer in Milwaukee, and parlayed that early position into many and varied roles within numerous organizations over six decades.
In the early 1980s, Chuck set out on his own, acquiring Sunlite Plastics (medical plastic extrusion), starting up Medovations (medical devices) and founding Diversatek (the holding company). Together with his son, Brant, and daughter Barb, he worked tirelessly to construct a recognizable medical technology company serving an array of healthcare markets throughout the world. His legacy now lives on through Diversatek. And while he was proud of the mission of the company, his most valued professional accomplishments include the relationships he developed and nurtured, and the lasting impact he hoped to have on those with whom he worked.
Aside from his vocation, Chuck was an active member of First Baptist Church in West Bend, and enjoyed hot summers on Big Cedar Lake and cold winters in Breckenridge, Colorado as well as in Aruba…happily surrounded by family and friends.
Chuck will long be remembered for the studied, intellectual engagement he had in his diagnoses and treatment. Convinced the only permanent solution to end stage renal disease (ESRD) was the development of a free-standing bioartificial kidney, he became a dedicated student of the research and advances being made in this area. The family would like to thank the kind and compassionate staff at Fresenius Dialysis Center, Heartland Home Care, his attentive daily caregivers (Pam, Mary, Agnes, Kathy, Tanyada, Devin, Laurie and Ginny) and the many physicians at St. Luke’s (Milwaukee) and Froedtert (Milwaukee and West Bend) who tended to him, especially over the past several months. The family is also very grateful for the assistance offered by their neighbors and the endless support received from the pastors, members and friends of their church.
A Memorial Service will be at 12:00 pm (noon) on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at First Baptist Church (2300 S. Main St., West Bend, WI 53095). Visitation will be at the church only on Saturday, July 28, 2018, beginning at 10:30 am until time of service (12:00 pm). Interment will be private, and will occur at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to either The UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339 (please note that the contribution is in memory of Charles Stanford “to support the Implantable Bioartificial Kidney Project”) or First Baptist Church Missions Fund, 2300 Main Street, West Bend, WI 53095.