Charles Purdy Kanoff

KANOFF, Charles Purdy, 87, passed away peacefully in his home in Gold River on Wednesday, April 8, 2015. His gentle spirit, sensitive heart and loving ways will be sorely missed by all who were fortunate to have been part of his beautiful life. Charles was born on August 30, 1927 and was a life time resident of Fair Oaks. He graduated from Fair Oaks Grammar School in 1941, then from San Juan Union High School in 1945, where he played on the varsity tennis team. During high school, he worked after school at Stark’s Pharmacy in Fair Oaks, behind the soda counter and, in the words of the head pharmacist, Charles could “whip up anything they wanted.” This high school job ignited a desire in him to be a pharmacist. After serving as a Private in the U.S. World War II Army through 1945, he attended and graduated from the University of California, San Francisco, College of Pharmacy in 1951. True to his word, following graduation, Charles came back to Fair Oaks to serve as the village pharmacist at Stark’s Pharmacy (later named Fair Oaks Pharmacy.) He eventually went on to purchase the pharmacy in 1959, and proudly wore his white coat for 36 years. He and his wife Shirley managed the business together, gently and lovingly serving the Fair Oaks community until they sold the pharmacy in 1987. Charles and Shirley met at the Iceland Skating Rink in Sacramento and they were married soon after on August 29, 1953. Charles and Shirley had a passion for ice-skating and became competitive ice skaters, dancing together at numerous state championships and at the National Championship in Minnesota in the mid ‘50s. Charles was deeply artistic and enjoyed a special gift for and love of gardening. The well-tended garden in his home always seemed nearly perfect, producing delicious tomatoes, fragrant gardenias, and other plants including ferns, azaleas and hibiscus. Even in the last month of his life, he would love to watch the robins drink from the fountain and fly among the blooming flowers or the hummingbirds hovering around his well-stocked feeder. Charles and Shirley were active members of the Riverview Club where they met with their closest friends for parties and dinners monthly for over fifty years. He continued to see his Riverview friends regularly, having enjoyed a recent Riverview event just about one month ago. Married for 53 years, Charles and Shirley had two children together, Jenny and Chris. Jenny passed away in 2002 and Shirley in 2006. Charles is survived by his son, Chris, daughter-in-law, Mary Ellen, and son in law, Roger Otte and grandchildren Katherine Claire, Christine, Charles and James Kanoff and Christopher and Michael Otte and his nieces, Rosalie Patrick, Heather Sinclair, Patty Sparks and Wendy Silverthorne. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce (c/o Founders Monument Project and Charles P. Kanoff Scholarship Fund), 10014 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, CA 95628. A Celebration of Charles’ Life will be held on Saturday, May 9th, 1:00-4:00pm, at the Promontory Point Clubhouse, 2014 Promontory Point Lane, Gold River, CA 95670. All are welcome.

Charles Purdy Kanoff

August 30, 1927 - April 8, 2015