Charles Chalmers MacLean III, or Chas to many, was born June 24, 1937 in New York City, then left us on December 4, 2023.  He was 86 years old.

Charles was preceded in death by his father, Charles Chalmers MacLean, Jr., and mother, Lee Seldon Howe MacLean.  He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Barbara Weathers MacLean, his daughter, Heather MacLean Russell, his son, Eric Salsbery, siblings, Elizabeth MacLean O'Neill, Dr. William MacLean, and Babcock MacLean, his grandchildren, MacLean Salsbery, Tatum Salsbery, and River Russell, along with many admiring nieces and nephews.

At the age of 9, Charles moved to what would become the family home in Lloyd Neck, Long Island, NY.  This place of childhood memories was one to which he would often return in his adult years for a familial retreat and recharge.  Lloyd Neck ever remained, to Charles, home.

He received his early education at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York.  He then completed high school at Loomis Chaffee Preparatory School, where he was a multi-sport athlete.  Charles went on to study at Yale College, from where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960.  He then completed graduate studies in Architecture at Yale in 1964.

Shortly after graduation, Charles embarked on a long, successful career as an architect.  His designs now stand as small monuments to honor his stellar career.  From Puerto Rico to Guam, and many lands in between, Charles left his indelible mark.  His Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was noted as the largest indoor event facility in Puerto Rico for many years.  When that island was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017, this coliseum not only withstood the massive storm, but it was also used as a place of refuge for displaced citizens.  Similarly, when an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 struck Guam, causing many buildings to crumble, there were reports of his structure swaying as much as 7 feet from side to side, but never giving way.  That facility was also used to house refugees after that devastating event.   It was on a flight to San Juan that Charles met his future bride, Barbara, and her young son, Eric.  The two were married in 1974 in Kentucky, then moved to Phoenix, Arizona to begin a journey that spanned nearly fifty years.  In 1976, their lives were blessed with the arrival of their daughter, Heather Lee.  Charles and Heather quickly developed an unbreakable, ever enduring, bond.  She was his heart.  It was also during that time that his relationship with Eric grew and blossomed into one of mutual respect and love, culminating with Eric adopting the most profound of monikers for Charles – "Dad."

Charles continued as an architect, ultimately opening his own design firm in the early 1980s, Charles Chalmers MacLean III Architects, LTD.  Meanwhile, Barbara opened her own quite successful interior design firm and boutique.  The couples' respective businesses thrived in tandem for many years, one often complimenting the other.  Though they faced challenges together, some seeming insurmountable, the family bond remained steadfast through Faith and love.

As time passed, Charles dissolved his company and returned to his architectural work as a solo artist.  And he was, at his core, an artist.  It was also in the years to come that Charles opened space for a pursuit of passion – painting.  He would go on to create works that are best described as startling, impassioned displays of color on canvas that depict his exploration of life, mortality, and the tumult of one man's search for an understanding of the divine.  He was fiercely protective of his art, allowing only a select few to view his works.  If you were one of those few, you were truly special to him.

Though the desert had been good to Charles and his family, there was always within him an undeniable pull eastward.  Barbara felt much the same.  So, in August of 2002, they purchased a home in Galena, Maryland.  Resting on a hill, high above the banks of the Sassafras River, their idyllic new home would soon be known as Ducks Landing.  Charles and Barbara split time between Phoenix and Galena until 2016, when they finally made Ducks Landing their primary home.  This was a place where family gathered, life was celebrated, seasons were embraced, and love was plentiful.  Charles would live out his remaining days at Ducks Landing, surrounded by those who will ever love him, and he them.

It was once written that a man may leave two things to this world when he passes – his children and his art.  Though Charles has physically departed from us, it is through his architectural masterpieces, his stunning works on canvas, and his ever-adoring children, that Charles will most certainly live on.

A viewing will be held on Friday, December 8 from 11 - 12 at Worsell Manor, 555 Worsell Manor Rd., Warwick MD where funeral service will begin at 12 pm.  Burial will follow in Georgetown Cemetery, Georgetown, MD

arrangements by Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech, Galena, MD