Charles Joseph Meyerson
September 11, 1921 - November 30, 2015
Obituary
MADISON WIS.-Charles Joseph Meyerson passed away on Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, at the age of 94, with his daughters and son-in-law at his side. Born on Sept. 11, 1921 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Charles was the son of Louis and Sarah (Rockstein) Meyerson, and the brother of sisters, Francis and Bernice. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, and earned his degree in Chemical Engineering from the Cooper Union. During WWII, Charles worked for the Manhattan Project, stationed at a secret site, the Houdaille Hershey plant, in Decatur, IL, where he met his wife of 68 years, Dolores. Dee pre-deceased Charles in May 2014. Charles and Dee were married on March 22, 1946, in Decatur, and began their married life in Charles's hometown of Brooklyn, where Charles continued to work for the Atomic Energy Commission and earned his law degree from St. John's University School of Law. In 1953, they moved to Aiken S.C., where Charles worked at the AEC's Savannah River Site, and where their daughter Julia was born. In 1954, they returned to the New York City area where Charles worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory. They lived in Bellport, Long Island, where daughter Laura was born in 1956. In 1957, Charles and Dee returned to live in Decatur, and Charles took a position as a patent attorney at the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company (now Tate & Lyle). When he retired in 1985, Charles was head of the Patent Law Department. Throughout their lives, both Dee and Charles were active volunteers in their community, and Charles served on the boards of the Decatur/Macon County Opportunities Corporation and Planned Parenthood, where he was Vice President and interim president, and on the city's School Board. In 1989, they moved to Madison Wis., where Laura and her family live, and volunteered in the Madison public schools. Charles and Dee spent the final years of their lives at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge, where first Dee and then Charles were lovingly cared for by the staff of the Health and Rehabilitation Center, to whom their family is deeply grateful. Charles is survived by daughters, Julia Meyerson and Laura Paine; sons-in-law, Gary Urton and William Paine; and grandchildren, Jason and Noah Urton, and Virginia and Emery Paine.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608)221-5420
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Memories
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Laura Paine
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Shared a photo.
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Bruce Grau, GNP
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I enjoyed my visits with Charles. He usually complimented me on my choice of shirt . Beyond the usual medical discussion we would typically address a current affair. I could tell he has always been a voice for the disadvantaged and powerless. He knew what he wanted and how he wanted it. He exercised his fighting spirit until he felt it was time to step aside and take the rest he had earned and avoided for so long. Charles was special. May you find comfort and cherish the memories.
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Philip Bateman
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I was sorry to read about the loss of your father. I had the pleasure of working with your father at Staley. I began at Staley as a chemical engineer in 1976 and had interest in patent law. I met with your father and he encouraged me to go to law school. I did, worked as a patent attorney in Chicago, and eventually wound up back in Decatur as a member of the Samuels, Miller law firm. Staley became short-handed in the patent department and I was asked in 1983 to spend half days at Staley to help. It was a great experience to work with your father. One funny thing I remember about your father is that he was very concerned about maintaining secrecy (undoubtedly due to his background in atomic energy and national security). He had a rule that all files had to be locked away at the end of each day. Nothing could be left on the desk top. As a result, the Staley patent department had the neatest desks in the entire company!