Charles E. "Charlie" Wilson, MD
Marriages
Marjorie Habenicht - 1958
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 6A - October 12, 2022
Charles E. Wilson, MD
was born on Guy Fawkes
Day, which delighted his
English grandmother, in
Canon City, Colorado
on November 5, 1931 to
Charles V. and A. May
(McIlvaney) Wilson.
Charlie was an amazing man. At age four, he
contracted polio. He lived at Children’s Hospital in
Denver for three years, while being treated. At a time
when people with disabilities were dismissed or “put
away,” he, with pure grit and determination, fought to
go to college, first becoming a pharmacist and then a
medical doctor. He graduated from the University of
Colorado with a B.S. in Pharmacy in 1954 and then
earned his M.D. at the same institution in 1958.
Charlie was a devoted medical educator, starting
as a full-time instructor in medicine at the University
of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1963. After
establishing a medical practice in Grand Junction in
1964, he continued to teach at UCHSC. In 1969, Perry
L. Rashleigh joined him in private practice, one that
eventually became Mountain West Dermatology. In
addition to Grand Junction, he practiced in Montrose.
Among his career accomplishments was as Chief
of Staff of St. Mary’s as well as Director of Medical
Education. He was one of the co-founders of Rocky
Mountain Health Plans which became a nationwide
model.
He married his life-long love, Marjorie Habenicht, in
1958. Three children followed. His philosophy was that
if you want your children to be close to you, you need to
spend time with them. And so he did. Picnics, Jeeping,
and trips to the Grand Mesa cabin and to Ouray were
the fabric of family life.
Retiring in 1988 due to complications of polio, he
became a sculptor. His work was displayed in a variety
of galleries and is found in homes all across the country.
He always thought that his artistic side began while
whittling during recess at Four Mile School in Canon
City.
Charlie will often be remembered for his wonderful
sense of humor. He always said he wanted the song,
“Cab Driver, Once More Round the Block” to be played
at the end of his funeral and a Checker Cab to take him
to the cemetery.
Preceding him in death was his beloved son, Mark
in 1980, his parents and sisters, as well as many dear
friends, with whom we believe he has already raised a
glass in the great beyond.
We also like to think of him riding his beloved
horse, Chief, whom his father lovingly trained to be his
transportation when his legs could not do the job.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marj;
daughter, Amy (Brian) Exstrum, of Ouray; son, Drew
(Lisa) Wilson of American Fork, Utah; grandchildren,
Charlie and Olivia Exstrum and step-grandchildren,
Sydney and Riley Stoll.
Memorial service will be on Friday October 14th at
1:00 PM at First Congregational Church 1425 N. 5th
Street.
To honor his deep love of Ouray and his passion for
reading, memorial contributions can be made in his
honor to the Ouray Public Library PO Box 625 Ouray,
CO 81427.
