Charles Lawrence Bellamy's Obituary
After a long illness, Dr. Charles (Chuck) Bellamy passed away on Monday August 19th. Born in Southern California, he was raised and nurtured by his loving parents Charles and Ivalou Bellamy. His mother often asked him throughout his childhood, “do you know why we were put on earth?”. His reply was inevitably, “no mom”, and he hoped that there would then be some fundamentally important revelation. However, her answer was always “To help others”. Chuck lived this out through his actions and words not only with his family and church callings, but also with his friends and coworkers as well.
Chuck loved nature and all the beauty it possessed which led him down the path to become a coleopterist. The study of beetles would enrapture him and lead him into a career that would see him become one of the world’s foremost authorities on jewel beetles. Chuck studied and collected jewel beetles on almost every continent, and passed on his knowledge and love for these animals in books and journals. He was well-known and well-respected by all his colleagues and peers.
Chuck and his wife Rose travelled as often as possible. Memorable trips included London, Paris, Australia, the southwestern United States, and Baja California. The couple also had the experience of living overseas in South Africa for 7 years, during which time they learned about other cultures and people.
Chuck was an avid sports fan, in particular his passion for Lakers basketball and USC football were unparalleled. If a Lakers game was being played, Chuck was watching it no matter where he was.
Chuck was employed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture as an Insect Biosystematist, which was a perfect fit for him and his talents. Every day there were beetle samples that crossed his desk and he helped protect California’s agriculture and environment by utilizing his vast knowledge of the group to determine whether or not they were pests of concern. He was well liked and respected by his colleagues for his contributions to the Plant Pest Diagnostics Center.
Chuck is preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Ivalou Bellamy. He is survived by his wife Rose; his two step-sons Nathan and Jessie Davis; his grandchildren Austin, Hayden and Brooklyn Davis, his sister Gayle Saltz; brother in law Joel Saltz; niece and nephew Tara and Cameron Saltz; cousins Sandra Turner and Patsy Beck. No memorial service is planned; however contributions or donations may be made to his favorite charitable organization, The Nature Conservancy.
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