Obituary of Charles Joseph Grebmeier

Charles Joseph Grebmeier passed away on the evening of May 14, 2014 at the age of 73. He had been battling Alzheimer's disease for over 8 years and was being attended by familiar staff at the Herman Health Care Facility in San Jose. Charles was born in San Francisco on April 20, 1941 to Rolf Arnold Grebmeier and Anita Heidth North. He attended San Jose State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design. He was a member and past president of the Sigma Chi fraternity and met his future wife Barbara Delman there. They married in 1965 and shortly thereafter settled in Santa Cruz, where Charles started working in downtown Santa Cruz with Donald Moore. In 1968 Charles began directing the Miss California Pageant and continued his involvement until the pageant left Santa Cruz in 1985. In 1970 he also began working with the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, NJ. Charles opened his first design store in Santa Cruz in 1969 and continued working in Santa Cruz until he moved to San Francisco in 1988. He set up a very successful design business on Nob Hill and was very involved with the design trade in the city. He was a longtime member of the Northern California Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and served a term as a president as well. Charles worked all over the United States and up and down the California Coast in design, a career he loved throughout his life that also included interior lighting. He had a unique way with words and created laughter and energy whenever he entered a room. His passion for beauty and quiet elegance, as well as his forward thinking, were his trademark in interior design and in life. Charles is survived by his daughter Julie Merrell and sons Anthony Grebmeier and Richard Sarro. He was blessed to have 5 beautiful grandchildren, and he is also survived by his five sisters: JoAnne Wendt, Linda Grebmeier Altman, Diana Forget, Jacqueline Grebmeier and Wendy Grebmeier. There will be a celebration of life on July 13, from 3-6pm at the DeLaveaga Golf Clubhouse. Please contact Julie Merrell for more information. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Alzheimer's Association. We are walking in Charles's honor on Sept 27, 2014. Our team page for donations: teamgrebmeier.com.