Goodbye, Charlie

Charles William Preusser, 71, was mostly known as Charlie—but also “everyone’s favorite old man,” “Mr. Chico,” “Chico’s oldest frat boy” and, in his youth, “Checkbook Charlie.”

He was a founding father of the Tau Gamma Theta fraternity and local Greeks say he’s the only person to have served as the president of two different Chico fraternities. He was a bright, engaging man and a steadfast advocate for students and youth, say those who knew him.

“He was such a generous, upbeat and outgoing man. I could talk to him about anything. He was the wisest man I’ve met in my life,” said Chris Downham, a Tau Gamma Theta member.

Preusser died at Enloe Medical Center following an extended illness last Tuesday, Oct. 6. He’d spent his last years living at the Tau Gamma Theta house at 10th and Chestnut streets. Before that, he lived across town near the apartment complex known as “The Zoo,” where he held weekly dinners for his “family,” the men of his fraternity.

Preusser was wheelchair-bound for more than a year before his death.

“Taking care of him was the least we could do for the man who motivated us to work harder and accomplish more,” said Downham, his primary caretaker. “He made sure all of our needs were met. We made sure all of his needs were met, too. We wanted him to have comfort and peace.”

Preusser never married or had his own children. He was a smoker and drinker and socialized regularly with his younger fraternity brothers until just a few weeks before his death. Tau Gamma Theta Alumni Association President Michael Da Virro described him as the consummate bachelor. He noted that over the past 50 years Preusser’s large extended fraternity family had grown to more than 650 members, all of whom he cared about greatly. In Preusser’s last days, Da Virro told him, “For someone with no money, you’re the wealthiest person I know.”

Fraternity brother Kevin Rys remembered him fondly as well. “One of the things I’ll always remember is spending the holidays with Charlie at the fraternity. He always made sure that anyone who didn’t have a place to go for the holidays had a spot at the fraternity, whether they were a fraternity brother or not.

“He would spend hours cooking for us, because to him, we were his family. For many, he was a second father, and for some, the closest thing they ever had [to a father].”

Local businessman Bill Sheridan remembers Preusser as a tireless advocate for students.

“He was charming. He had a scorched-earth approach to youth civil rights,” Sheridan said. Preusser was vocal—and bluntly so—at City Council meetings when it came to issues that affected students.

Sheridan shared on social media, “You are the best friend the youth of Chico ever had. On top of that, an absolute joy to be around. An incurable romantic and a [total] class act.”

Dustin Teibel, 35, a 2000 Tau Gamma Theta pledge, said he owes much of his success to Preusser. Now a district manager for a large company, Teibel said he was a lost soul when he met Preusser at 19 years old.

“Charlie got me a job, taught me about leadership, open-mindedness and to be polite,” Teibel said.

Preusser grew up in Orland and was the last surviving member of his immediate family, which consisted of his father, mother and a brother. His cousin, Jan Holman, said it gives the family solace and comfort to know Charlie found his extended fraternity family. “He was a very caring man with a wonderful belly laugh. You couldn’t help but laugh along with him.”

Among his many accomplishments, personal and professional, Preusser served as the president of Phi Kappa Tau; founding president of Tau Gamma Theta (1968); Chico State A.S. president (1971-72); member of Students for a Democratic Society; Interfraternity Council president (1972); executive director of Rancho Chico Days; founding president of the South Campus Neighborhood Association; founding member of the Celebration of People; member, A.S. Commission on Judicial Affairs (1998-89); member, Downtown Chico Business Association board of directors; and was active with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Plans for a memorial service are in the works.