Charles Prescott Waite passed away peacefully at his home in San Francisco on June 4, 2019. Born on March 30, 1930, in Manchester, CT, he attended Manchester High School graduating in 1947. Charlie ran the mile on the state champion track team as well as cross country. He married Catherine Corbett (1932-2016) and was drafted into the US Army in 1951. He served his country with honor and pride on active duty for 3 ½ years and then in the active reserves until 1972 when he retired a Lt. Colonel. He performed his basic training in Arkansas, went to OCS at Ft, Sill, OK, was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC and served in the 597th Artillery Battalion in Hanau, Germany under General James L. Kalergis.
He returned to the US in 1954 to complete his degree in Business at the University of Connecticut. In May 1955 he and Cathy welcomed their first child, Charles Jr (Chad) and in September 1957 their second child, David, was born. In 1957 he continued his education at the Harvard Business School. In October 1959 Catherine (Waite) Sullivan (1959 -2016), his first daughter was born. After graduation from HBS in 1959, the legendary “father of venture capital”, General Georges Doriot, honored Charlie by asking him to serve as his TA for a year. Then in 1960, he joined Doriot as an associate at one of the original venture capital firms in the US, American Research and Development Company (ARD) in Boston. The “General”, as Charlie would often say, played the most significant role in his life as a teacher, mentor and later, friend. In 1965 his second daughter, Patricia (Waite) Bishop was born and he and his family moved to Wellesley, MA, where they would live for 20 years.
In 1966 Charlie shared a vision of a then innovative model of venture capital as a private partnership with 2 associates and joined them as a founding partner in establishing Greylock Management Company in a small office in Boston, MA. The firm would, over the years, become one of the most respected and prominent venture capital firms in the US, fostering many start-ups into successful and renowned companies while providing excellent returns to their investors. He remained a General Partner at Greylock until his retirement in 1995, served as President in the 1980s and as a Limited Partner and Partner Emeritus until his death. Among the companies that Charlie funded and mentored were Apollo Computer, Prime Computer, Cobe Laboratories, Priam Corp, Floating Point Systems, Neutrogena, Stryker Corporation, Micom, and many others. Charlie saw the potential for his business in the Bay Area and traveled there almost weekly throughout the 70s and 80s, identifying opportunities in the area known today as Silicon Valley. Charlie relocated to San Francisco in 1983 and married Angela Petersen Long in 1985, and they lived there happily the remainder of his life.
Charlie had a deep appreciation for the value of education, knowing the impact it had on his own success in life. He served as a Trustee of Kenyon College for many years and remains a Trustee Emeritus. He was on the Visiting Committee of the Harvard Business School and an active Trustee of The Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA. Charlie and four of his Greylock Partners received a Distinguished Alumnae Award from The Harvard Business School in 2003. He enjoyed traveling the world, always in the company of family, particularly appreciating France. He loved fine dining and fine wine and sharing the joy of the experience with friends and family. He considered himself a Californian in all ways except in relation to his beloved Boston teams. Like many New Englanders, he shed more than a few tears over the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins championships. Charlie was a devoted and proud father, known to appear unannounced at his children’s lacrosse or basketball games in Ohio, Connecticut, or Boston. He loved the ocean and spent summers on Cape Cod when his children were young teaching them to boat, fish, clam and enjoy celebrations with family and friends. Summer weekends were always filled with family, friends, boating, fireworks, and cookouts. Later he and Angela vacationed at their home in Pebble Beach continuing his habit of welcoming all to share in his success and join in the fun.
Charlie is survived by Angela, his adoring wife of 34 years. He is lovingly remembered by his son Chad Waite (wife Susan) of Whitefish, MT, son David Waite (wife Heather) of Walpole, MA, daughter Patricia Waite Bishop (husband Bruce) of Wellesley, MA, and 11 grandchildren (Alexis Waite, CP Waite, Stephen Waite, Brooke Waite, Corey Waite, Kelly Meredith, Ashley Meredith, Chad Sullivan, Milly Bishop, Kimberly Bishop, and Matthew Bishop), 2 great-grandchildren, and his stepsons and their families. Charlie was also blessed with 2 wonderful friends who cared for him with love and kindness in his final years, Jose Duran and Alvin Rosa, to whom the family expresses boundless appreciation.