On April 21, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charles William Barbee (Charlie) was born to Joseph and Mary Barbee.  He was one of seven children. In 1954, he honored his family by enlisting in the United States Army and was honorably discharged after transitioning into United States Army Reserves.  Years after his time serving in the Army and life on the east coast, he moved to California.

Shortly after his move, he met a beautiful girl named Irma and married her. The marriage ceremony itself was an adventure as Charlie borrowed his friend's car from a car show, without his friend's knowledge. Charlie then drove Irma to Tijuana, without her, or her mom knowing and there they were married on August 18, 1965.  They were married for 46 years until her untimely passing on June 04, 2012.  Together they owned a very successful upholstery businesses staring in Goleta and subsequently moved it to Lompoc in January 1976.

Charlie was a master of his trade and very proud of his work.  He believed that if you give your customer a fair price, do great work, and do a little extra, you'll have a repeat customer.  Almost all of his relatives and a couple of close friends had at one time or another helped Charlie (Uncle Charlie) in his upholstery shop to make a few bucks and to learn a trade.  Some of his customers and helpers have become lifelong friends.

Charlie was very well known in the Lompoc community as a man with a great sense of humor and a character like no other.  The stories he would tell of his life were not only interesting and entertaining, but life lessons as well.  He had a heart of gold and would give you the shirt off his back and make sure didn't go without.  He was involved with youth sports as a sponsor and was also the biggest cheerleader in the stands a kid could ever ask for.

Charlie's hobbies included camping, fishing sailing, chess, card and magic tricks.  He loved to visit Las Vegas and Laughlin because of course, he liked to gamble.  More times than not, he came out on top and always tried to win the casino.  He also loved animals and in his lifetime has owned many pets, primarily dogs and birds.  He was very family oriented and enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, friends, and other friends he liked to call his adopted children.

Charlie lost his battle with cancer and died at his home on Saturday, January 9, 2021 with family by his side.  His parents Mary and Joseph, stepfather Maynard (Pop), brothers Joseph and Eddie, and Honeybunch Irma, precede him in death.  As we say farewell to Charlie, he leaves behind his brothers Maynard and Jerry; sisters Mary, Beverly and Barbara; children Joseph, David, and Caroline; grandchildren Suzanne, Selena, Christopher, Mikke, Cecilia, Cambria, Jonah, Emma, and Ethan; great grandchildren Khloey, Kaylee, Abbie, Zaiden, Acacia, and Katalina.

Dad, grandpa, great grandpa, brother, uncle, friend, mentor…….you will be dearly missed!

Burial service with military honors will be Monday, January 18, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery and presided by family member Pastor Richard Ramos.  For those who are attending please abide by state and local mandated COVID-19 protocols.  For those unable to physically attend, Starbuck-Lind Mortuary is providing a live stream service through a hyperlink on his obituary located on their website.