Charles E. Selinske, a long time resident of Rye Brook, passed away on March 22nd at the age of 84. He died peacefully at home after a long illness.
Charlie was born in February 1933 in Jersey City, NJ, the only child of Ellsworth and Marion Selinske. His wife Carol and son Evan, daughter-in-law Nancy, and grandsons Sean and Ryan survive him. Charlie and Carol met in a line waiting for coffee and married 4 months later. He often said “My life started when I met Carol.” They were married 57 years.
Although he majored in economics at Columbia University, Charlie’s life-long love of writing and journalism led him to serve as Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Daily Spectator. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and continued with graduate studies at New York University.
Bankers Trust in Manhattan employed Charlie as a Trust Officer and Vice President throughout his entire career. He enjoyed his work and colleagues, but still had plenty of energy and enthusiasm to devote to volunteering in the community. His 40-year membership in the Community Unitarian Church at White Plains included stints as Treasurer, Trustee, 4th grade religious education teacher, and as a member of the Finance Committee. He brought his skills as a history buff and writer together to author Freely United, a history of the church’s first fifty years. Throughout the 1980s he volunteered with numerous groups working to develop hospice programs. After retirement he volunteered with The Light House for the Blind and The Friends of Crawford Park.
Charlie was an avid traveler as well a history buff, two passions that he shared with his wife Carol as they made their way around the world. Over the course of several decades they visited 21 countries and always brought home a wealth of new stories and memories, many of which revolved around hiking, food and music.
Charlie’s seemingly endless enthusiasms were also shaped by his early life with Carol in New York. This meant that he spent a great deal of time enjoying theatre and music with friends. In particular he enjoyed Russian classical music and jazz of all genres. Being a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker also meant that Charlie was, for better or worse, a lifelong fan of his beloved, beleaguered, NY Rangers.
A memorial service and celebration of Charlie’s life well be held at the Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation in White Plains on Saturday April 8 at 2:00PM. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Hospice of Westchester.