Charles Joseph Wiseman

Charles Joseph Wiseman III BS ’70, JD ’73 died April 21, 2019, at the age of 76.

Charles was born in Tillamook, Oregon, on October 30, 1942, to Charles and Lucille Wiseman. He grew up largely in nearby Garibaldi.

From a young age, Charles was devoted to sports of all kinds. He was an all-star Little League baseball player who continued to play through high school and his time as an undergraduate at Lewis & Clark. As teens, he and his brother would hitchhike from Garibaldi to Portland to watch their beloved Portland Beavers baseball team play; later, he became an avid fan of the Seattle Mariners. A star high school football player, Charles loved fishing, scuba diving, canoeing, golf, skiing, and camping. As an adult, he followed the Seattle Seahawks and all Northwest high school and university sports. He was also a general aviation pilot.

Charles joined the Portland Police Department in 1965 and worked in the Crime Lab until 1967. He then became a patrol officer for the department, where he served until 1970–the same year he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry. In 1971 Charles became an investigator for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, working in that capacity as he pursued his JD. He then served as a trial attorney for that office from 1973 until 1976, when he joined the Lane County District Attorney’s Office as a trial attorney.

In 1977, Charles went into practice for himself as a criminal defense attorney. He would run his own law firm for 42 years. Licensed in both Oregon and Washington, he was well respected in the profession and known for his quick wit, honesty, and compassionate spirit.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Robert. He is survived by his brother Thomas and his two nephews, Eric Wiseman and Kyle Wiseman.