April 17, 1982- April 4, 2025

Born on April 17,1982, in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Barbara Wilson and Richard Thoms, Charlie grew up exploring the outdoors with his parents and his older brother, Steve. He developed a love of nature on frequent trips to the Murray family cottage on Burt Lake and the Thoms family cottage on Lake Michigan. With his dad, he shared adventures in Canada, hiking Pukaskwa National Park and kayaking Lake Superior. Summer road trips to visit western national parks and family in Santa Fe, Park City and Seattle inspired a love of travel and exploration.

Charlie moved to Leelanau County as a teenager and graduated from Leland High School. He attended college in Salt Lake City, Utah. When living in Park City he was on the track crew at the Olympic Park and managed the bobsled course working alongside Olympian athletes. A thrill seeker at heart, he loved speeding down the summer track on a bobsled at 3G speeds. Soon, he took a marketing position at Backcountry.com. He loved promoting adventure merchandise and took advantage of the “bro” discounts to accumulate an impressive collection of outdoor gear. After several years he returned to his Michigan roots and bought a house on the Leelanau Peninsula. He transformed this fixer upper into a comfy, welcoming home. Who knew you could learn to lay tile, drywall or fix a furnace by watching YouTube videos? Charlie dove in and got the job done. He was also a selftaught investor and managed to support his lifestyle on his terms.

A few years ago, Charlie bought a 34foot sailboat. Then he figured out how to sail. Once accomplished, he would spend summer days assembling a crew of friends and captaining them across the waters of Grand Traverse Bay. His smile was never so wide as when he piloted his boat full of friends or family on a summer’s day. Good times were always on board.

He biked, hiked, surfed, kayaked, sailed and snowboarded throughout the world. Whether it was a trip to Baja, Mexico, to visit friends at Surf Camp, a jaunt to Iceland to hike glaciers or ride Icelandic ponies, hiking adventures with friends in Columbia, or exploring Machu Pichu with friends and then taking off solo on a rented motorcycle to tour the countryside, he lived large and boldly. The adventures are too numerous to mention. Just this year he journeyed to Thailand and embraced the welcoming people and culture. A favorite destination was Mount Bohemia in the Upper Peninsula where he and friends enjoyed the extreme slopes on their snowboards.

Charlie developed an eye for unusual vehicles. He imported a rare Nissan Figaro convertible and then a Suzuki minitruck from Japan. Driving solo to the New York and Baltimore ports to navigate customs, tariffs and ultimately receive these vehicles and trailer them home didn’t faze him. Surely his charisma and savvy worked in his favor. Leelanau County folks often saw him touring the roads in his mint green Figaro convertible with his Golden Retriever pup by his side. In the past year he met his love, Krista. Their recent trip to Tulum, Mexico, cemented their blooming relationship, and they came home with big plans for a bright future together. His death came way too soon.

In a world where most of us follow the beaten track, Charlie forged his own path, showing us the joy of challenging the status quo. He lived with a passion for life, family and friends and was such a bright and wonderful force in this world. He loved Christmas and delighted in showering friends and family with carefully selected gifts. He was always there to lend a hand to friends or provide a listening ear. His far too brief time here was filled with endless adventure coupled with bravery that was required to tackle his health challenges. His spontaneity with decisions that many people would agonize over was actually quite wise, in retrospect.

Charlie is survived by his parents, Barb and Rick Wilson, and Richard and Michele Thoms; by his brother, Steve Thoms and Amanda Wakeman; his grandmother, Margy Murray; his girlfriend, Krista Empey; and his beloved dog, Szabo. He will be missed by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends. We encourage all who love Charlie to honor his memory by embracing his legacy of adventure and joy. Follow your heart. Hug your people. Live boldly.

Charlie lived by the quote, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.”

A Celebration of Charlie’s life will be held on April 27, 2025, 2-5 p.m. at Visions at Center Pointe, Traverse City. The tribute will be a casual open house for those that wish to gather and share smiles and stories.

Memorial contributions, in Charlie’s name, can be directed to the American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.martinson.info.

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.