Keith LaMont Charles was born on February 23, 1959 to Elijah Peter (E.P.) and Josephine (Richmond) Charles in Los Angeles, California. He was the couples's second child with son Anthony born less than a year before in 1958.
The abundant love of God was instilled into Keith at an early age. He accepted Jesus Christ into his heart. He developed a deep respect for the Baptist church traditions in which he was raised, and his walk with the Lord was pivotal in his development. As a young adult, he and his family attended Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles, California under the tutelage of Dr. Fred Price. They would later attend Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier (CA) where he was baptized in 2001.
At an early age Keith showed a keen interest in the art of building. A building block set his parents bought him one year would become a constant source of engagement. He had a meticulous eye for detail, and would spend hours perfecting his creations. This passion often came into sharp contrast with his brother and friends who didn't appreciate his projects like he did. He could often be found playing alone building all manner of things. He would beg his parents not to invite cousins or friends over so the "kids wouldn't mess with his stuff." His interest in building would be accelerated during junior high school. In his shop class, he would learn about architecture, and his passion was solidified. From there on, he told anyone that would ask that he was going to be an "architect" even though some of his Southern-raised family had no real clue what one was or if they made any money.
After graduating from George Washington High School in 1976, Keith went on to attend El Camino College in Torrance, California. It was there, in chemistry class, he met Evelyn Johnson. They would become lab partners and fast friends. The rest as they say is history. Following a 5 year courtship, they married in Inglewood, California on August 21, 1982. They would have two daughters - Leslie in '84 and Amber in '87.
Keith went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture in 1987. Upon passing the California Architect licensing exam, he would become a licensed architect in 1995. After more than a decade of working for different firms, he set out on his own and established KL Charles Architects, Inc. in 1997. In 2013, he would shutter the firm due to the economic recession, and go on to join MCG Architecture as Director in the Irvine, CA office where he remained until his passing.
Keith took immense pride in his role as husband and father. As young professionals with two young daughters in school, he and Evelyn often split home duties. Keith would become responsible for ironing the girls' uniform blouses every Sunday in preparation for the week. The meticulous nature that he applied to his work was present even in this mundane task. He took great pride in making sure the blouses were perfect. That same pride was always on display as he cheered the girls on through their many activities. From sports to school plays, he did his best to be there for everything. Keith might have been the Original "Girl Dad". In later years, as the girls grew into young women, he made sure to take time away with the family for trips as often as possible. From the beginning he did his best to make Evelyn, Leslie and Amber feel loved and appreciated, as evidenced by his longstanding tradition of having flowers delivered to each of them on Valentine's Day.
This love would soon reach down to the next generation when his son-in-law Seun, and three grandchildren - Elijah, Isaiah, and Stella - arrived. As with everything he did, he threw himself into the new role with vigor. He could often be found walking the kids around the backyard telling them all about the vegetation, or taking them for bike rides to the local park. He would sit with Seun talking sports, politics, health or whatever during Sunday visits. He rarely balked at the opportunity to spend time with the grandkids playing games or simply watching TV (and answering Elijah's millions of questions LOL) with them.
Keith is survived by his loving wife of over 38 years, Evelyn; two daughters - Leslie Olayele and Amber Charles; son-in-law, Seun Olayele; grandchildren - Elijah, Isaiah and Stella Olayele; parents - EP and Josephine Charles; brother - Anthony; two brothers-in-law; three sisters-in-law; and countless aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; as well as innumerable friends whose lives were forever touched by his amazing spirit.
