Charles Giesen

Middleton - On Monday, November 19, 2012 Charlie passed away peacefully at a place he loved. He was born on June 6, 1986 in Tucson, Arizona, the first child of James Giesen and Mary Klink. He was joined three years later by his twin brothers, Nick and Jamie. In 1992, the family relocated to Middleton where Charlie attended the Middleton Public Schools. Next, he attended University of Iowa and then came back to Madison to attend University of Wisconsin. He was working at CapTel helping the deaf communicate by telephone and attending classes at UW at the time of his death. Charlie was an extraordinary person who lived large. He didn't just enter a room, he filled it up. He was candid, witty, honest, respectful, thoughtful and just delightfully different with an unparalleled sense of humor. To know him was to love him. He was amazingly precocious with a keen and piercing intellect and the capacity to find the truth in all that he studied. He didn't just read books, he devoured and dissected them. The breadth and depth of his knowledge was astounding. He studied science and technology, economics, sociology, math, philosophy and religion in an effort to understand the world and himself. Friends remember many late night discussions about the meaning of life. So many friends and family have told us in recent days how he used his special talents to touch and help them. Chuck packed a lot into his too short life and we hope he has found the peace he so greatly deserves. He is survived by his father and mother, James Giesen and Mary Klink; brothers, Nicholas and James; his grandmothers; and a large extended family as well as many, many friends. A memorial to Charlie's life will be held at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 from 4-7 p.m. with a brief ceremony of remembrance at 6:30 p.m. Anyone who wishes to speak or provide a written tribute is welcome to do so at that time. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Charlie's favorite charities, Oxfam or Heifer International. We miss you deeply, Charlie. You will live on in our hearts, our memories, and our actions. Be at peace.