When people go searching for the charles bates obit 2023, they usually bump into a bit of a mystery. See, there wasn't just one Charles Bates who left us that year. But if you’re looking for the name that carried the most weight in the world of classic cinema and engineering, you’re likely thinking of Charles "Charlie" Bates, the former child star who famously held his own against Alfred Hitchcock’s direction.
Honestly, it’s kinda rare to see someone transition from the glitz of 1940s Hollywood to the meticulous world of electrical engineering, but that was basically his whole vibe. He wasn't just a face on a screen; he was a man who lived two very distinct, very full lives before passing away in Spokane, Washington, in May 2023.
The Child Actor Who Outran the Spotlight
Most of us know him as Roger Newton. If you’ve ever sat through the 1943 Hitchcock thriller Shadow of a Doubt, you’ve seen him. He was the kid with the spectacles and the sharp wit, often delivering lines that felt way too smart for a child. He was born Charles Edward Perry Jr. in 1934, but the world knew him as Charles Bates.
He didn't just stop at Hitchcock, though. Throughout the late 30s and 40s, he popped up in over 40 films. We’re talking credits in The North Star and Pursued. His final bow on the silver screen was in The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), where he played a young version of Gregory Peck’s character.
Then? He just... left.
💡 You might also like: Bobby Sherman Health Update: What Really Happened to the Teen Idol
It wasn’t a "tragic child star" story. It was more of a "I’ve got other things to do" situation. He went off to study electrical engineering, eventually retiring from a long career with the State of California in 1996. He chose the quiet of the Pacific Northwest for his later years, proving you don't need a Walk of Fame star to have a meaningful retirement.
Why the Charles Bates Obit 2023 Search is So Complicated
The tricky part about 2023 is that several notable men named Charles Bates passed away, leading to a lot of confusion on social media and genealogy sites. If you aren't looking for the actor, you might be looking for one of these other men who left behind massive footprints in their own communities:
- Charles Cruz Bates (The Educator): Known to his students as "Bear," this Charles passed in February 2023 in Starkville, Mississippi. He was a legendary teacher who used the outdoors to teach leadership. He led kids on backpacking trips through the Everglades and the Ozarks. Total legend in the world of experiential learning.
- Charles Bates (The Veteran): Also passing in February 2023, this Charles was a farm boy from Oklahoma who fought in both Korea and Vietnam. He earned two Bronze Stars and later became an evangelist.
- Charles "Charlie" David Bates: A heartbreaking loss in December 2023. He was only 17, a senior at Seneca High School in New Jersey who loved astronomy and the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Yogiraj Charles Bates II: A spiritual teacher and author whose passing sparked a huge conversation about patient safety and hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE).
It’s sorta wild how one name can represent so many different versions of a "life well lived." Whether it’s an actor, a soldier, a teen scientist, or a spiritual guide, the charles bates obit 2023 results tell a story of a year where many families lost their "North Star."
A Legacy Beyond the Screen
For the fans of the actor Charles Bates, his death in May 2023 marked the end of a specific era of Hollywood. He was one of the last living links to the Golden Age of cinema. But he also represented the idea that you aren't defined by what you did at age nine.
📖 Related: Blair Underwood First Wife: What Really Happened with Desiree DaCosta
He lived 88 years. Only about fifteen of those were spent in front of a camera. The rest? He spent them as a husband, a father, and a senior electrical engineer. There’s something deeply respectable about a guy who can be in a Hitchcock masterpiece and then spend thirty years making sure the power grid works.
Key Facts About the Actor’s Life
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Charles Edward Perry Jr. |
| Active Years | 1935–1952 |
| Famous Role | Roger Newton in Shadow of a Doubt |
| Second Career | Electrical Engineer (Retired 1996) |
| Died | May 2023 (Spokane, WA) |
What We Can Learn from the Life of Charles Bates
Whenever we look at an obituary, we’re really looking for a roadmap. The various men named Charles Bates who passed in 2023 all seemed to share a common thread: they didn't sit still.
The actor reinvented himself. The educator took kids into the woods to find themselves. The veteran never stopped working or praying. Even the young Charlie Bates in New Jersey squeezed a lifetime of passion for the stars into just seventeen years.
If you're here because you’re mourning one of these men, or just curious about the history, the takeaway is pretty clear. Life is long (usually), but it’s the pivots—the career changes, the hobbies, the family time—that actually make the "obit" worth reading.
👉 See also: Bhavana Pandey Explained: What Most People Get Wrong About the Original Bollywood Wife
How to Honor Their Memory
If you're looking for a way to pay respects to the different legacies mentioned in the charles bates obit 2023 searches, here are a few actual things you can do:
- Watch a Hitchcock Classic: Rent Shadow of a Doubt and appreciate the natural performance of a kid who decided he’d rather be an engineer.
- Support Patient Safety: Check out the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, which was championed by the family of Yogiraj Charles Bates to prevent hospital-related deaths.
- Go Outside: In honor of "Bear" Bates, take a hike in a local park. He believed the best lessons were learned on a trail, not in a classroom.
- Donate to Make-A-Wish: The family of young Charlie Bates from New Jersey suggested donations to Make-A-Wish or "Kisses for Kyle" to help other kids facing health battles.
Don't just read the name and click away. Take a second to realize that behind every "obit" search is a human who likely had a favorite dog, a messy desk, and a bunch of people who really, really miss them.
To dig deeper into these specific lives, you can visit the memorial pages at Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home for the Oklahoma veteran or Welch Funeral Home for the Starkville educator. Each one offers a guestbook where you can see the real-time impact these men had on their neighbors.
Next Steps for You:
Check your local library or streaming service for Shadow of a Doubt to see the actor Charles Bates at the height of his childhood career. If you are researching family history and believe you are related to one of these individuals, visit sites like Ancestry or FindAGrave, as many of these 2023 records have now been fully indexed by community volunteers.