LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 23 After a few years, Charlie became restless for yet another challenge and he accepted the position of state editor at the Watertown Daily Times. He was later promoted to assistant managing editor. He worked diligently to ensure the stories printed in the daily newspaper were not only accurate and fair but interest- ing enough to capture and keep the reader's attention. Char- lie deeply believed in the responsibility of a local newspaper to be the eyes and ears of the community, and frequently re- minded younger reporters in the newsroom of that respon- sibility. On a warm summer day in July 1991, Charlie left the Water- town newsroom, speaking enthusiastically to his colleagues about an upcoming fly-fishing trip. They never expected the 34-year-old seemingly healthy editor would never return to work after that day. Later that evening, Dr. Decker received a distressing phone call. "It was a friend of Charlie's who went to his apartment after he didn't respond to his calls," Dr. Decker said. "He found him on the floor, unconscious." Charlie was transported to the nearest hospital and immediately placed on a ventilator. But he would never regain consciousness. A CT scan confirmed Charlie had suffered a brainstem stroke. "It was a hopeless situa- tion," his brother said. " We knew then he was gone." The Decker family, along with Charlie's many friends and newspaper colleagues, were left shocked and dev- astated at his unexpected death. It was extremely hard on his parents, particularly his mother, who had a close relationship with her younger son because of their shared passion for the English language. The late Janet Decker was an assistant professor of English at North Countr y Community College in Saranac Lake and chair- woman of the Division of Developmental Studies. "Charlie and my mother were ver y close," Dr. Decker said. "It wasn't unusual over the years for him to call her from the newsroom." Charlie would ask her advice about an unfamiliar phrase, a sentence that didn't quite make sense, a paragraph that didn't seem to flow well into the next. After Charlie's parents settled his financial affairs, they found themselves debating what to do with the proceeds from his life insurance policy. They decided to set up a scholarship fund in Charlie's name to offer fi- nancial assistance to young people pursuing journalism careers. It was named the Charles B. Decker Memorial Scholarship Fund. Although the idea of establishing the scholarship fund with family members administering it started off as more of a "practical matter," it eventually became a thera- peutic one for the late Mrs. Decker, offering her another way to cope with Charlie's loss. She and other family members were involved in reviewing the applications and selecting the recipients and often met with them. But eventually the demands of paper work became too much to handle. The family later decided to transfer the scholarship fund to be administered through the Adirondack Foundation, Lake Placid. At the time, Charlie's mother had been ser ving on their board of directors, and she continued to meet with scholarship recipients after the transfer. Today, Dr. Decker, along with his wife, Martha, and a close family friend, Ann Merkel, are still involved with the fund. "It has been more than just a scholarship fund," Dr. Decker said. "It's been a way to keep Charlie's memor y alive, and it's had a positive impact on the lives of many aspiring journalists throughout the Adirondack region and beyond."

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