Charles E. Linn, Jr.
GENEVA - Our family is heartbroken to announce the death of our dear Patriarch, Charlie, who left us entirely too soon. It was fitting that he was visiting with family for a weekend of Olympics viewing and, after a night of watching opening ceremonies, he never woke up to join us for breakfast. We were, and continue to be, stunned.
Charlie was, first and foremost, a man who loved his family deeply and enjoyed the heck out of every birthday, holiday and excuse for a get-together that we frequently indulged. He was also a man of science who believed passionately in research, inquiry and the value of curiosity. Charlie did not suffer fools.
Charlie was born in Torrance, CA to Charles and Betty Linn. His father was a watchmaker, and in her youth, his mother was a trapeze artist in the circus. His mother was responsible for giving Charlie his green thumb, his love of all things related to Christmas and his love of reading. His house is full of books in every nook and cranny as well as many, many house plants that all flourish in his care. In high school, he was a surfer and found sanctuary in the sands and waves of Redondo Beach. He was active in theatre and was an accomplished flautist, and music, specifically jazz, remained a big part of his life. Shortly after graduating, he joined the Air Force and, in short order, was sent to Vietnam where he served as a machine gunner in a search and recovery helicopter. His tour ended when his chopper crashed, which resulted in multiple injuries that required extensive recovery in hospitals overseas and stateside. Although he had not been a particularly academically inclined young man, he decided during this pivotal time in his life to continue his education in the California State University system.
Charlie earned his BS and Master’s Degrees in Biology and went on to complete his PhD in entomology from UC Riverside in 1979. He doesn’t know why he was fascinated with insects but attributes the affinity at least partially to his time in the jungles of Vietnam. In 1980, Charlie arrived in Geneva, NY to join the cutting-edge research lab of Wendell Roelofs at Cornell University. Charlie’s expertise in insect behavior was a perfect match for the chemistry training of Roelofs. Many insect sex pheromones were characterized along with Charlie carving out his niche in his studies defining the behavior of male moths to long-distance odor plumes released by female moths. He also used new techniques in the laboratory and field to unravel the complex of host odors that attract sibling species of fruit maggot flies to their specific host fruit trees. He successfully got competitive Federal grants to support post docs and lab technicians for his research. In their 3 decades of world-renowned research, Wendell and Charlie hosted a multitude of scientists and fellow researchers from around the globe. He spent a significant amount of time with Paul Robbins, Henry Facunda and Shannon Olsson on their PhD dissertation studies. Before he retired, Charlie served as Mike Wolfin’s major professor during Mike’s PhD dissertation research.
After Roelofs retired, Charlie continued to lead the cutting-edge research of the group for another decade. Roelofs commented that “Charlie was a great scientist, colleague and friend. And beyond the accolades for his research, he was loved by all and universally recognized as a really good man.”
After his retirement, Charlie was awarded the Career Accomplishment Award by Cornell University on 10/30/2017, citing his many accomplishments in solidifying his research as the gold standard in his field.
Charlie’s family was dear to him. He is survived by his wife, from whom he was legally separated but close to, Marjorie Young Linn; his children, Lauren Linn, Luke (Katelyn) Linn, Trevor Linn, Chloe Linn; his sister, Barbara Trani; his brother, Steve Linn; grandchildren, DJ Allison, Tahleiha Linn, Kellyn Pettine, Jonah Pettine, Uriah Linn, Jaci Linn, Kirin Linn, Jonathan Rodriguez, Remi Linn, River Linn. He was close to his Canadian family, Morgan McCrady and her “B boys”, Brantley Chappell, Braxton Boyce and Barrett Boyce. His Golden Girls, Margie, Kim Davis and Bernadette Helmer hosted many gatherings at their Canandaigua home, where he peaced out. His rocking chair has a place of honor here.
The family will have a memorial service in the warmer months to accommodate family, friends, and colleagues from far and wide. We will announce a date and time and look forward to seeing so many people who have known and loved him.