Charlotte Rhead Young

YOUNG, CHARLOTTE RHEAD DAVIDSON Born August 5, 1921, in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and passed away October 31, 2006, in La Mesa, California. Charlotte attended New England Conservatory of Music, and received a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Science from University of Chicago, where she also worked in the map department during World War II. She holds a masters Degree in Geography from SDSU. She moved from Colorado Springs to La Jolla in 1952 with her late husband George Kenneth Young. From the mid-1950s, Charlotte taught elementary school and middle school science in the La Mesa Spring Valley School District, and geography at Monte Vista High School until retiring in 1976. She also spent a year in Germany in the late sixties, as dean of women at Schiller College in Bonnigheim. Charlotte was known for her innovative teaching style, and involvement of her students with deep thought and participation in the subject matter. Many times she would rearrange her geography classroom so that the students could lay out a large world map on the floor. She would then have them represent their countries, based on population, natural resources, food, wealth or other factors. She would also encourage her students to become involved with local government issues and understanding of regional and global environmental concerns - this in the 1960s and early '70s. Many students throughout the San Diego area were motivated and influenced by her unique and insightful approach to teaching. There were many other endeavors Charlotte was involved with, such as writing a motorcycle-training course, organizing and running a duplicate-bridge center in the early 1950s, and holding a private pilot's license - in the 1940s and 1970s. She was self-taught at knitting and crochet, and produced hundreds of uniquely patterned sweaters, shawls, Afghans, blankets, and other articles from yarn. Charlotte also traveled extensively, having visited more than 85 countries. She would take off for a far corner of the globe for six months with just a backpack for her clothes and portable typewriter. Charlotte has traveled to total solar eclipses, in Peru and West Africa. She also organized and ran several trips for young adults to Europe in the early seventies, and worked for Harmsafari in San Diego, as director of field operations, organizing their tours to Eastern Africa. After her retirement, Charlotte retreated to the wilderness of British Columbia, where she wrote a novel about "Big Foot" while staying alone in a primitive log cabin. Subsequent to returning from British Columbia, she was a prominent resident of Borrego Springs for nearly 20 years, having a successful florist business, and being involved with the Chamber of Commerce. For the last ten years, she has lived in La Mesa, where she regularly taught geography at the La Mesa Senior Center. This very popular class consistently drew over a dozen eager students who benefited from her insights, experiences, and thorough preparation. Her last class, about Tanzania, was on Friday October 27th, just a day before she suffered a stroke and was admitted to Grossmont Hospital. She is survived by daughter Barbara Szabo (and husband Alex), son Paul D. Young (and wife Ruth), grandson Paul Young, Jr., and brothers Hal and Bruce Davidson. Despite all Charlotte's varied and worldly interests, her family was a great source of joy and gratification for her. She was comforted by her immediate family during her last moments. There will be a memorial celebration at the La Mesa Senior (Adult Enrichment) Center, on Saturday December 23, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center, Senior Partners Fund for Education. Please sign the guest book at obituaries.uniontrib.com