Lasting Memories

Charles Richard Dickens
July 10, 1934-July 14, 2018
Auburn, California

Dr. Charles Richard Dickens, a loving husband and father passed away peacefully on July 14, 2018 in Auburn, California. A son of immigrant parents from northern England, Chuck was raised in Mill Valley, California and attended Tamalpais High School and later the University of Chicago and the University of California at Berkeley, where he received advanced degrees in Mathematics. He was the first in his family to attend college. Throughout his graduate studies, he served in the United States Army Reserve from which he was honorably discharged. In 1964, he began a long career at Stanford University where he became head of computing for the university and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). In this capacity and through collaborations with industry leaders he made significant, pioneering contributions to the computing field. Chuck is survived by his wife, Janet, daughter Alison, sons Gerald and Robert and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife Natalie, sons William, Brian, Eric and parents Mildred and Roy. Whether on a week-long backpacking trip in the Sierra or the annual Thanksgiving trip to Kauai, Chuck maintained a life-long passion for travel, adventure, conservation and spending time with family. Chuck had a keen wit, a kind heart and generous spirit. He was also a true DIY guy, who preferred to fix his own cars and build the addition on the family home himself.