About Charley

Charles Reeves Wood
1914-2004

But soon Charley was immersed in an even more consuming endeavor: the Charles R. Wood Foundation, which he had first established in 1978 to support the arts, healthcare and critically ill children in Northern New York. In his later years, Charley's foundation became his primary focus. "I wish I had a billion dollars," he once said, "just for the fun of giving it away."

Charley with Double H campers.

In fact, Charley's impact on the region's quality of life is profound. His funded the Charles R. Wood Cancer Center with - the largest gift in the history of the Glen Falls Hospital -He also funded the children's wing of Albany Medical Center, the children's room at the Crandall Public Library, and establishment off the Charles R. Wood Theatre in Glens Falls.

An avid, and astute, collector, Charley also left treasured pieces to his favorite causes, including the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls. The Hyde received $3.4 million from the sale of two Russian urns, (purchased by Charley for $10,000 in Vienna) and $2.4 million from the auction of Charley's 1933 Duisenberg, which had once belonged to Greta Garbo. Those two gifts alone made Charley the most generous donor in the history of the Hyde.

Another vibrant symbol of Charley's generosity - and his irrepressible spirit - is his Double "H" Hole in the Woods Ranch on Lake Luzerne. Since 1993, thousands of children with serious medical conditions have found an alternate reality in this custom-equipped, medically supervised dude ranch, purchased and renovated by Charley and funded - to date -- by more than $10 million from his foundation.

When Charley was designing this magical place, he approached actor and philanthropist Paul Newman for advice and support. When his request was refused, Charley wrote to him, "I will never be as handsome or as famous as you are. I will never have the money that you have, but my heart is just as big as yours." Paul Newman quickly requested a meeting with this remarkable man and later joined Charley in co-founding the ranch.

Charley & Paul Newman at the Double H Ranch.

When Charley passed away in 2004, at the age of 90, he left behind a delightfully altered landscape, the echo of irrepressible laughter - and a tangible legacy of generosity and compassion. The New York Times carried a reverent tribute to his entrepreneurial vision, The Washington Post reported, "He had fun all of his life, made a fortune providing thrills and chills to people of all ages, and then he had fun giving away millions." But the Glens Falls Post Star seemed to best capture Charley's larger-than-life spirit in the headline: "A Dreamer Who Delighted Kids Dies."