MICHAEL--Charles. Charles Robert Michael, a San Francisco-based investor and philanthropist, passed away on December 5, 2019 at the age of 82. Charles is survived by members of his loving family including his wife and best friend of 36 years, Teresa Michael, his step-son, William Wright and wife, Elizabeth, his grandchildren, Samuel and Lily Wright, his sister-in-law, Erica Michael, and many nieces and nephews. Charles was predeceased by his parents, Jakob and Erna Michael, his brother, Ernest Michael, and sister, Jackie Errera and husband, Paul Errera. Charles was born in The Hague, Holland on April 21, 1937 to Jakob and Erna Sondheimer Michael, originally from Frankfurt Am Mein, Germany. After his father served in the German Army, his parents moved to Berlin. Due to increasing persecution by the Nazis, they departed Holland on New Year's Day, 1931. With the clouds of war hanging over Europe and increasing anti-Semitism, the family immigrated to the United States in April 1939 where they settled on the Upper Westside of Manhattan. Charles began his business career working in his father's private holding company from 1956 to 1973. He served on the Boards of Directors of two New York Stock Exchange companies: Lehigh Valley Industries from 1963 to 1982 and U.S. Smelting, Refining and Mining Company from 1964 to 1969. Moving to San Francisco in 1973, he became an independent investor. Charles pursued his passion for Jewish history, art, culture, and medical research throughout much of his life. In his late teens, he became active in philanthropy and served as Co-Chair (1969-70) of the Greater New York Young Leadership Division of the United Jewish Appeal. His activities included being a member of the Board of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the UJA Leadership Council National Cabinet. He was an early contributor to and lifetime member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Over the years, Charles gave works of art and Judaica to various museums including SFMOMA, the de Young Museum, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Magnes. The majority of his Judaica collection has been bequeathed to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem where, in 2010, he donated a gallery in memory of his parents. As an active member of the Jewish community of San Francisco, he served on various committees of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco from 1978 to 1998, was a founder and board member of the San Francisco Jewish Museum (now the Contemporary Jewish Museum) and served as a trustee of the Judah L. Magnes Museum from 1990-2005. In 2006, Charles endowed in perpetuity an annual lecture at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. In 2009, he funded The Charles Michael Professorship in Jewish History and Culture at Stanford University and in conjunction with this professorship, the Charles Michael Annual Lectures on Jewish History and Culture are held in perpetuity in both San Francisco and at Stanford University. In 2010, he endowed the Charles Michael Chair in autoimmune diseases at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Neve Michael Children's Home in Pardes Hanna, Israel is also a beneficiary of his estate. Charles will be buried at Riverside Cemetery in Saddlebrook, New Jersey and a graveside memorial service will be held on December 8, 2019 at 1:30pm. A memorial service will be held at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco on January 3, 2020 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a .