Charles Lewis Bostwick

Charles L. Bostwick was born in Winchester, Tennessee, on August 30, 1942. He was the son of Julius and Cornelia Bostwick. The family moved to Thomaston, Georgia, in 1948, where he attended school at R.E. Lee Grammar and R.E. Lee Institute.

At R.E Lee, Charles participated in numerous extracurricular activities including the band and the ROTC Rifle Team. He was an Eagle Boy Scout and attended the National Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge and the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He became a professional photographer as a teenager, developing the film himself. He also enjoyed water skiing, snow skiing and camping. Later, he became interested in foreign travel, making many trips to Europe and Asia, for both business and pleasure.

Charles attended Georgia State University where he received a bachelor's and master's degree from the College of Business Administration. Charles lived a life distinguished by intelligence, curiosity, enterprise, and an extraordinary ability to connect with people. He earned the respect of colleagues, business associates, customers, and friends through his knowledge, integrity, and genuine concern for others. His years as an educator reflected the qualities that remained evident throughout his life; a sharp intellect, a natural ability to communicate, and a desire to understand every subject thoroughly.

After teaching, Charles brought those talents into the jewelry industry. He was instrumental in the formation and success of A. Speer Diamond, a company that helped independent jewelers and store owners successfully and respectfully liquidate their businesses when it was time to retire. Charles evaluated inventories, negotiated agreements, coordinated sales, and guided each engagement with exceptional judgment and professionalism.

He was an extraordinary negotiator who understood both the business and the people behind it. For Charles, success meant more than just profitability. He believed that business owners deserved to be treated with respect and that their customers should continue to be well served. His ability to bring people together, find common ground and create successful outcomes made him one of the finest professionals in his field.

Later, Charles turned his attention to pearls. Through extensive study and numerous trips to China, he developed deep expertise in pearl quality, sourcing, and the international marketplace. He established his own pearl company, created his own line of pearls, and built lasting relationships with retailers and major wholesalers throughout the United States.

Although Charles accomplished much professionally, his achievements tell only part of his story. His true legacy lives on in the people whose lives he touched, the friendships he cherished, and the many individuals who were made better by knowing him. He will be remembered for his intelligence, generosity, confidence, and remarkable ability to make others feel valued. Above all, he will be remembered as a loyal friend, trusted colleague, devoted partner, and true gentleman whose relationships extended far beyond business.

In 2008, Charles helped Ying Zhuo open a violin shop in Marietta, Georgia called Mandarin Strings. Drawing on everything he had learned throughout his life and his wealth of experience, he helped transform Mandarin Strings from nothing into one of the most successful violin shops in the Atlanta area. What began as a shop catering primarily to beginners gradually grew into a distinguished establishment offering fine antique and vintage violins suitable for professional musicians.

Throughout those years, Charles traveled to China every year to attend trade shows and communicate with manufacturers. His knowledge and understanding of Chinese culture, history, and people reached an extraordinary level—remarkable even for someone from outside China. At the same time, he traveled to Europe each year in search of antique violins, and through those journeys he experienced firsthand the history and cultural heritage of the Old World, which in many ways forms the roots of American society.

Charles was a deeply knowledgeable man, a true lover of life, and a quintessential Southern gentleman. He passed away unexpectedly on September 6, 2026, in Marietta, Georgia, at the age of 84, leaving a profound sense of loss among all who knew and loved him. His absence will be felt in countless ways—in conversations that can no longer take place, in friendships shaped by his presence, and in the memories shared by those fortunate enough to have walked alongside him. Yet the influence of his life will endure through the people he encouraged, the relationships he nurtured, and the example he set. Charles Bostwick will be remembered with deep admiration, enduring gratitude and abiding love.

He leaves behind his children, Karl Bostwick, Charlie Bostwick, Kris Bostwick, Tanya Bostwick; stepchildren, Ron, Pam, Robert, and Lisa along with extended family members and friends to cherish his memory.

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