Charlotte Beckman Brooks lost her battle with cancer on August 6, 2023. Her funeral will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 11 AM at Salem Lutheran Church, 905 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD. Friends are invited to attend. Condolences to her family can be sent to Char's husband, Carl Brooks, at carlrob@gmail.com, and to her sister, Katharine Beckman (in Gettysburg, PA), at BeckmanKatharine@gmail.com. (Thanks to classmate Barbara Sollner-Webb for providing this timely information.) 

Classmate Melissa Carr Kupfer wrote this about her dear friend, Charlotte:

Char has been my best friend from 6th grade at N-CC Elementary onward. She lived with my family for our junior and senior years at B-CC while her parents were in Guatamala with the State Dept. She was an outstanding student academically, especially enjoyed participation in the drama program. She attended Oberlin and graduated from U of Md, also getting an MFA from MICA in Baltimore. Char shared her love of art with her students over many years at the h.s. in Laurel, Md. She lived in Catonsville, and her many talents included being a superior potter, excellent seamstress, repairer of Oriental rugs, quilter, and Spanish guitar player. She raised two brilliant and talented daughters. An active member of the Lutheran Church, she loved singing alto in the choir, and was active in her community and beyond by her support for education and causes championing human rights. Char was a generous and caring friend to many. If you had something to celebrate she was genuinely happy with you. She loved her extended family, planned their reunions and took care of many details to make them memorable. Although we did not live near one another from our 20s on, we remained best of friends through letters, phone calls and visits until our last tear and memory-filled conversation over Facetime. The love she lived is a rarity in today's world. Godspeed, dear friend of 64 years-- you are greatly missed.