This last week marks not only the end of Charles Atkinson's like on earth, but also the end of a Legend. Charles was my friend, a fellow Floridian, and a long time business associate of over ten years. Before that he was an un-introduced neighbor some thirty years ago in Virginia. He was famous then too. Charles was a one of a kind, a true character. He possessed charm, wit, and a great sense of humor. He loved fishing, he knew and enjoyed some of the best restaurants anywhere. He had a great sense of fair play, and he knew people.

I don't think there was or is anyone in the progress community who knew as many people as Charles did. Besides working on the phone, he attended many trade shows/conferences. You always looked forward to seeing and or speaking with him. He knew us well. Over the years Charles and I spent scores of hours swapping stories of who (That means YOU) did what where and "Oh I don't believe he did that" stories. Charles had the ability to talk and listen to us all. Whether Programmer, DBA, IT Director, or HR Manager, Charles came through. We could trust him, he understood us, and he always delivered. He was dedicated to the progress community just like his advertising stated. Yes, Charles was a head hunter, the best! His success and the admiration we all had for him proved it.

Many are unaware of the little joke behind his email address; Ivory. Well, we were his Ivory, we were the hunted trophy. We were lucky to have him to hunt for all of us. I know that he had hundreds and hundreds of people that called him friend. I hope we all can share stories about Charles, I know there are so many great ones.

Condolences to all that love him.