Charles Francis Moles

Died

Charles Francis Moles, 66, deeply loving and very loved, died Wednesday, April 1, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, of multiple myeloma. He will be forever missed by Kathy Harrington, his wife of 42 years, their daughter Lila Moles, and all his family and many friends. Charlie was born in Detroit, Michigan and earned a BA in English from the Honors College at Michigan State University, where he developed lifelong passions for Shakespeare and the Spartans. He and Kathy shared a love of city life and its culture, balanced by weekends in Wisconsin, where he prided himself on never burning a fireplace log he hadn't split himself. Being a husband made him happy, being a dad made him deliriously so. He was the best hugger, a vocal presence at every game, the definition of a good father. He loved holidays, reunions and casual occasions with family and friends, old and new. As a board member, he helped make the Old Town School of Folk Music on Lincoln Avenue happen. Concerts there and plays at Chicago theaters were among his favorite evenings, and Stratford, Ontario was among his favorite places-world class theater, friends, ample wine-what more is needed? He was famously a fan of college basketball and tried hard not to miss Jeopardy. After earning a law degree from DePaul University, Charlie began a 41 year career with Ashcraft & Ashcraft, representing closely held family businesses with international partners and the families themselves, becoming a great personal friend of clients and counterpart advisors. An expert in trusts and estates, he set up family foundations that bring multiple generations together as philanthropists; he took enormous satisfaction in seeing these foundations grow and their ability to help support nonprofits increase. As the son of two teachers, Charles Moles and Rosalie (Francis) Moles, Charlie had a gift for asking questions that inspire thinking. As a warm, kind, generous and witty guy, he made people laugh. When the world reopens, we'll get together to toast him, his life, and the joy he brought to ours. In the meantime, if you want to do something in his memory, please donate to the COVID-19 Relief Fund of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Thankfully Charlie did not have this virus, but he'd be all for defeating it.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Published on: 05-04-2020