May 24, 2021
Charlie “C.B” Kaufmann was born in Pittsburgh, PA on January 13, 1944, the son of Charles B. Kaufmann, Jr. ’38 and Elizabeth (Passavant) Kaufmann. He grew up in the Pittsburgh area until the family relocated to Munich, Germany in 1958. After attending school in Switzerland, Charlie returned stateside in 1961 to finish high school at Andover Academy. He entered Yale in September 1962 and was a member of Jonathan Edwards College. Singing was his passion at Yale including the Freshman Glee Club, the Apollo Glee Club, the Alley Cats, Battell Choir and, most of all, the Yale Glee Club. He loved his time with the Glee Club serving as President during his senior year and traveling with them on an around-the-world tour after graduation. He kept a personal diary of that ten-week trip and got to know Yale classmates and others such as Fenno Heath. He remained active with the Yale Glee Club Associates and was honored for his service with the Yale Glee Club Medal of Honor in 2008.
His decision to go to law school was impacted by leaders of the legal community such as Cyrus Vance, Arthur Dean and John J. McCloy. After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1969 he clerked for the Connecticut Supreme Court, moved to an associate position with a New York law firm, then settled into firms in Greenwich, CT until he retired in late 2018. Charlie loved living in Greenwich and immersed himself in the community. He was active on the board of Greenwich United Way, the Child Guidance Center, and Greenwich EMS where he served for 28 years. Those who knew him will remember his willingness to help others, his eagerness to strike up a conversation, and his deep love for his friends and family.
Charlie also had ties out west. His parents took him and his siblings to Eatons’ Ranch in Wolf, Wyoming for summer vacations throughout their childhood. Charlie continued to spend time there as an adult and he met his wife Patty there and married her in 1981. In our Class 25th Reunion Book he described “stumbling into the somewhat difficult process of transitioning from old bachelor to the young father of a sixteen, thirteen and eight year old.” Charlie and Patty continued to spend time in Wyoming and their combined love of the west led him to serve on the board of Yellowstone Forever (formerly the Yellowstone Park Foundation) for twelve years. Charlie is survived by his wife Patty, his three stepchildren, and seven grandchildren as well as his brother and sister and nephews and a niece.
Charlie passed away unexpectedly (but peacefully) on May 24, 2021. Up until the end Charlie was a dedicated volunteer on the 55th Reunion Gift Committee as he had served for many previous Reunions. He touched the lives of so many in the Yale community and will be deeply missed.
Benjamin Liptzin