Charles Fennell Gonzalez, IV has passed away at the age of 56. Charlie, the husband of Annabelle Abalos Gonzalez, father of Morgan Elena Gonzalez and the son of Charles Fennell Gonzalez, III and Mollie L. Gonzalez, was a native of Pensacola and will be sorely missed by his family, his friends, his co-workers and his home-town. His death was unexpected and entirely too soon.

Charlie was born on July 29, 1963, in Pensacola, FL. His life was shaped by travel. He lived in Hawaii, Key West, Coral Gables, Pensacola, Wilmington (North Carolina), Tallahassee, the Philippines, Panama City and Pensacola. Charlie shaped the people and places he visited as he made lifelong friends on every step of his journey.

Charlie served his country and the world by joining the Peace Corps to help promote a better understanding of America and Americans on the part of the people served. In Charlie's case those were the people of the Philippines. After leaving the Peace Corps he returned to the United States with his beloved wife, Annabelle and shortly thereafter completed his family when the couple welcomed their "water-daughter," Morgan. Charlie was incredibly proud of his wife and daughter and demonstrated daily his devotion and love.

Charlie worked in local government; first in Bay County and then at Escambia County as the County's Geographic Information Services Director. It can be fairly claimed that Charlie, in his job as the County's mapping director, quite literally shaped many aspects of modern-day Escambia County and Pensacola. He understood the importance of his work and strived to make sure that he approached his job with the same zeal that he brought to every aspect of his life.

No testimonial to Charlie's life would be complete without mention of his love for the sea. He first stood up on a surfboard as a toddler in Hawaii. He surfed both famous and lesser-known breaks on the Atlantic east coast, across the Pacific from California to Asia to local breaks here on the Gulf coast. Good surfers have a distinctive style when they ride a wave; whether riding ankle snappers on a sweltering August day or a clean, head-high Thanksgiving day swell, Charlie's surfing style was best described as "joy."

In addition to his wife, Annabelle, daughter, Morgan, and mother, Mollie, Charlie leaves behind countless friends, numerous cousins and an immediate family comprised of siblings, Rhoda, Tom and Ruth and their children, his nieces and nephews. Do not dwell on the loss of Charlie or those of us left behind, rather, take comfort in the knowledge that he has joined his father and surely the two Charlies have set sail on the next leg of this wondrous journey.

His friends and family gathered this past Sunday at Pensacola Beach to toast his life and share in his joy by plunging into the Gulf. While there will be no further formal service we hope to celebrate his life more fully around his next birthday with a warmer weather paddle-out.