Charles Edward "Chuck" Olmsted III

Chuck was born September 7, 1944, in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL to Charles Edward Olmsted II and Hazel Wiggers Olmsted, and shortly became a devoted elder brother to Joanna Belle Olmsted. He attended the University of Chicago Lab School and punctuated every summer with family trips to the Rocky Mountains.

Chuck developed a lifelong commitment to peace, justice, and a Quaker approach to living these values while completing his BA in Biology at Earlham College. He then followed in his father’s footsteps by completing an MS in Botany at the University of Oklahoma, while also holding the first standing vigil outside of California to express concern for the loss of life in Southeast Asia.

Between his master’s and completing his PhD at the University of Colorado – Boulder with John Marr, Chuck worked as a hod carrier, taxi driver, draft counselor, maker of prostheses, rock climbing and outdoor education instructor, Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue-er, and carpenter. PhD in hand, Chuck became a professor at the University of Northern Colorado in 1978 and coordinated the Environmental Studies program, where he later met his beloved wife Catherine Olmsted (née Fallon). In the summers, Chuck worked as a naturalist-in-residence at the Nature Place where life-long friendships were forged. Chuck mentored numerous graduate students and taught thousands of undergraduates until his retirement and appointment to emeritus status in 2004, receiving multiple awards for excellence in teaching along the way.

In 1999, Chuck, Cathy, and daughter Castilleja began building (art is never finished…) their passive solar house, designed by Chuck, a lifelong autodidact and skilled woodworker. Throughout his career and into retirement, Chuck was committed to social and ecological action, serving on the boards of numerous organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Federation, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Solar Energy Association of NE Colorado, Colorado Native Plant Society, Colorado Environmental Coalition, High Plains Environmental Center, Big Thompson Watershed Forum, University Schools, the Marr fund, WCSPERA, and by working as an election judge for Weld County. He was also a highly involved and care-taking father and husband, self-describing as “chief cook, bottle-washer, chauffer, and wallet” during his retirement. Chuck sought to serve as a “pattern and example” (George Fox) of a peaceful and ecologically ethical life, living “so that his least action might be made universal law” (paraphrased from Immanuel Kant).

Chuck is survived by his wife of 31 years, Catherine, daughter Castilleja Olmsted and son-in-law Tyler Parrack, sister Joanna Olmsted and brother-in-law Doug Turner, nephew Richard Olmsted “Ricky” Turner, sister- and brother-in-law Fay and Dale Baker, nieces Tessa (John) Womack, Annie Baker, his grand-nieces and nephews, and scores of beloved relatives and friends, both human and furry, who are still with us. Those who predeceased him live now in our memories – his beloved parents, grandparents, and a lifetime of kindred spirits.

A celebration of Chuck’s life is planned for summer 2027 to facilitate full participation by friends and family who live distantly or who are beholden to the academic calendar. Please subscribe to updates using the “Get Reminders” option to keep apprised. Please also share your memories and photos of Chuck on his Dignity Memorial page.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Chuck’s memory can be made to NOCO Humane at https://www.nocohumane.org/, Defenders of Wildlife, or to a memorial scholarship Chuck’s family hopes to establish at a later date.