Charles GivensĀ  Lopez Island

Charles Givens is a lifelong learner who retired with his wife, Nancy, after a varied career as a mechanical draftsman, industrial photographer, printer and publisher, and model railroad retail business owner. The magazine he co-founded, The Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette, is still going strong today. His interest in trains and photography led to a passion for history and then for the environment. He watched California’s Santa Clara Valley evolve from the “Valley of Heart’s Delight,” with thousands of acres of orchards, into Silicon Valley, where not a single orchard remains today.

In 1997, Charles and Nancy moved to a forested site on Lopez Island and began their commitment to the Preservation Trust, donating an easement on their property and volunteering in the Preservation Trust office until Charles joined the board in 2005. He also has served on the board of the Lopez Island Historical Society, including terms as vice-president and as treasurer. More recently he has served on the board of the Lopez Island Hospice & Home Support, including three years as treasurer.