It is with the greatest regret that we must report that Charles Wyly was killed Sunday in Aspen in an automobile accident. Yes, he was indeed a wealthy man, a philanthropist and one who stood up for his beliefs, but he was first and foremost a man who lit up like the world’s biggest strobe light when his wife, Dee, entered the room.
Our condolences go to the entire Wyly family during this very dark hour. While we cannot imagine the pain they are suffering, we envy their life with this remarkable, self-made man.
Rawlins Gilliland says
Shocking news. It says something about you & your Sweet Charity blog that when I heard this news I went straight to your blog to see what has happened. You’re the go-to person for news of anything related to the charities and non-profit arts.
Kent and Ruth Buzzi Perkins says
Those of us who knew Charles are heartbroken with his passing, and grateful for the rare opportunity to have known such a truly great man.
The world is a better place because of Charles Wyly’s life. He was a quiet, thoughtful man with many great gifts: a sense of humor, a huge capacity for loving others, incredible business acumen, an intense desire to leave the world a better place.
He and his bride Dee arrived in Dallas from Louisiana in the 1940’s, with everything they owned in a 1939 Chevrolet coupe. It was here they, with his brother Sam and Sterling Williams founded numerous, unrelated businesses and succeeded greatly in all of them. Charles and Dee Wyly had a strong desire to thank Dallas in very special ways, which they’ve done.
The legacy of a half-century love affair of two wonderful people and their adopted home town continues; generations of Dallas citizens will benefit greatly from the arrival of that old Chevrolet coupe on Dallas streets, and the wonderful couple it contained.