Please join us in celebrating the life of Charlotte Hollenbeck, a long-time dedicated and beloved supporter of the Blue Devils. Charlotte passed away on August 15 at the age of 89.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that Char Hollenbeck was a significant part of the growth of the modern Blue Devil organization,” says Executive Advisor David Gibbs. “Her tireless work on tasks including the development of the Booster Club, growing our bingo game and literally building a rehearsal site with her husband Fred that came to be known as Mars solidified a foundation that has stood the test of time and impacts the Blue Devils to this day.”
Charlotte and her husband Fred became active with the Blue Devils when their son Finn Birder joined the corps as a bass drummer, aging out in 1981 after four seasons in the A corps. Though their son’s marching days had come to an end, Char and Fred kept as active as ever. Char was an early member of the Booster Club, serving in nearly all roles, including President, Past-President, and Secretary. Char was also a regular volunteer during the early years of our bingo game, helping grow it into one of the best games in the Bay area and assuring the corps’ long-term financial stability.
Char and her husband Fred may be best known for their tireless work at the corps’ rehearsal site known as Mars. Fred was instrumental in building the structures on site and maintaining the field, and Char was at his side nearly every day, even driving a bulldozer to help level the ground! Thousands of young people have grown up at Mars, whose official name is the “Fred Hollenbeck Memorial Field,” and Charlotte would come each spring to sit in the bleachers and watch any number of C, B and A corps rehearsals, always with a proud smile on her face.
Char remained an active presence at Blue Devil winter camps well into the 2000s, helping on Devils Food, hosting international students in her home and always willing to shuttle members from the airport or train station. Blue Devil alum and current C corps instructor Ben Kane remembers Char fondly. “I met Charlotte at my first camp as a Blue Devil in 2008, when she gave me and some friends a ride to our hotel one evening. We’ve been friends ever since. She was so bright, colorful and full of love! She has been my ‘California Mom’ ever since.”
Char was a long-time resident of Clayton, California and taught Kindergarten and First Grade in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District for a remarkable 50 years. Her beloved husband Fred passed away in 1997.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday September 17 from 9 am to Noon at the Clayton Community Library. Those wishing to share photos for the video memorial can send to
[email protected] by August 31.