Charlie was born September 4, 1945, in Monterey, California, to Charles M. Ganster and Louise Wood Ganster. He graduated from La Jolla High School in 1963 and from the University of California at Riverside in 1967. Charlie taught Spanish and other subjects, including Physical Education, in the San Diego City Schools, where Coach Charlie was a memorable mentor for generations of students until his retirement in 2012. Charlie lived in Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach and in retirement spent time in Quartzsite, Arizona. Over the years, he was a frequent visitor to Yelapa, Mexico, where he had a vacation home.
