Obituary of Charles Arthur Soderstrom

Charles Arthur Soderstrom was born on April 12, 1934 in Modesto, California to Dr. Ernest and Mary (Phillips) Soderstrom. He entered into rest on January 17, 2024 in Chico, California.

Charles grew up in Modesto, the youngest of three sons. He attended Modesto High School and graduated with the class of 1952. He attended Stanford University and San Jose State College for his undergraduate studies. He graduated from the University of CA San Francisco School of Dentistry in 1960. He was a member of the Xi Psi Phi fraternity.

While in dental school, he met Ruby Blom, who was a nursing student and was also from Modesto. They married on September 7, 1958. They moved to Chico in 1961 to start his dental practice and raise their growing family. Charles specialized in pediatric dentistry. He served as the President of the Northern California Dental Society. Many Chicoans benefited from his excellent preventive care. He took great pride when now-adults thanked him for the care he had provided to them as children, as many were still cavityfree (or close to it!).

Charles was a member of Chico Rotary and SIRS. He enjoyed singing with the Bidwell Generals. He was in the choir at Bidwell Presbyterian Church, where he had been a member since 1961. He and Ruby were part of a Mariners fellowship group and often volunteered in the church kitchen. He was a philanthropist, donating to foundations and organizations that supported academia, health care, and the arts.

Charles enjoyed many hobbies and interests, such as skiing, traveling, photography, reading history books, and attending classical music concerts and symphony performances. He collected Janet Turner prints, stamps, and HO Marklin trains. He was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at the age of 19, and made it a lifelong priority to pay careful attention to his diabetic care.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Ruby, and his brothers John and Phillip. He is survived by sons Ross of Yuba City, CA and Ted (Monica) of Chico; daughter Kristin (Scott) Lemm of Port Townsend, WA; grandsons Myles and Dominic Soderstrom, and Dexter and Emerson Lemm; sisters-in-law Nina Austin and Liz Soderstrom; brother-in-law Clarence Blom; numerous nieces, nephews, and their children; and best friends Janet Lancaster, Brian Anderson, and Kathy and Bob Thiele.

The family would like to thank the staff at The Courtyard and of Enloe Hospice, as well as Theresa Reinking and Jacqueline Underwood, for the excellent supportive care they provided for Charles. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the traditional music program at Bidwell Presbyterian Church or the Enloe Health Foundation.