Vale Charlie Booth

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Vale Charlie Booth  – Classification : Footwear Retail

Presidential Year 1977/1978 – Paul Harris Fellow (1991)

Born on 29/1/1927 in Bury, near Manchester England, Charlie’s first job at the age of 14 was as a shoe repairer. Charlie served in the Army for 3 years from 1945-1948, serving 2 of those years in the Peace-keeping Corp in Italy.  He met Lilian at Christmas 1947, and was wearing a kilt. Lilian said she wouldn’t see him again if he was wearing that. They married June, 1949.  Their son David was born in March, 1951. Charlie continued to work in the footwear trade, from 1953 as a store manager when Lilian joined him as an assistant. 

In 1963 the family emigrated to Australia, continuing to work in the footwear trade in Salisbury, where they became residents.  In 1978 they opened their own shoe store in Para Hills, then opened also at North Adelaide and Port Adelaide. They ran their own stores for 11 years before retiring in 1989.  Son David went to Elizabeth High and was awarded a scholarship to University.  The family enjoyed camping and travelled overseas to France and Italy, with four trips holidaying in England and America, as well as caravanning (and fishing) in Australia.

In November, 1971 Charlie was invited to join Rotary by Colin Hainsworth, becoming President in 1977/1978.  Charlie’s presidential year in the early city of Elizabeth was an extremely productive year.  The mood in Rotary had been that the community needed a closer harmony amongst service groups to support the many needs of the new city. That former work of Rotary presidents came to fruition in Charlie’s year, as Rotary encouraged the other local service groups to come together to raise funds for the local community.

  • The results were immediately evident: in the Lyell McEwin hospital fete which was an enormous success with the community coming together to support it,
  • Fundraising of $10,000 for the Cranio Facial Unit at the Children’s Hospital. Rotary’s Pettycoat Lane in the Elizabeth Town Centre supported this.
  • $4000 was raised for the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Appeal which was the first year of Rotary District’s major project which that year successfully raised $150,000.
  • The formation of the inaugural Elizabeth Fayre as a present and future fundraising project, raising $4000 to provide a bus for Barkuma
  • And $1000 raised to support the newly formed Rotary Club of Elizabeth’s “Elizabeth and District Foundation (which later became United Way.)

Charlie’s leadership brought together the club on many social occasions, producing a hard working team and with an increase in membership from 30 to 40 members.

Charlie’s final remarks in his annual report states: “…although we achieved so much, achievement is not everything – it is the spirit of what is achieved that is important, the result of which has been the fellowship generated within this club”.

Charlie Booth became heavily involved in Rotary Showtime with his talent as actor and administrator, for which he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in 1991. Charlie resigned from Rotary in 2002 and became an Honorary Member until his passing 20/3/2017, aged 90 years.

 

BOOTH, Charlie. 29/01/1927 20/03/2017 Aged 90 years. Dearly beloved husband of Lilian (deceased). Together for 63 years. Loving father and father-in-law of David and Lyndall. Cherished Grandad and Great-Grandad of Clara, Adele, Verity, Paul, Ryan and Callan. Beloved brother and brother-in-law of Lizzie, Minnie and Gordon, Brenda and Bob (deceased). Lilian and Charlie Soulmates Together Again.

Obituaries

Published in The Advertiser on 24/03/2017