Charles R. Cabrera
The next Men’s Club Association members’ tournament at The Citrus Club won’t be the same. There will be no final-round charge from Charles R. Cabrera.
Chuck died January 9, 2019, after a 15-year-battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 74.
He was a dedicated golfer and a born competitor, and he also was a gentleman straight out of Central Casting, known for his kindness to everyone he encountered. He’d let you play through.
Along with his love of golf, Chuck loved learning. He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1966 — but he refused to leave campus, holing up in his room with his textbooks and the phone number to his favorite pizzeria. He earned an MBA from the school and then continued on to UC Hastings College of Law.
He was accepted to the California Bar in 1972 before putting aside the law to become an investments advisor at Dean Witter & Co. in the Bay Area. He quickly built a successful career, earning the trust of clients and business associates alike due to his intelligence, hard work, decency, and, always, good humor. It was at Dean Witter that he met Linda Hall Perry, a fellow broker. They fell in love and married, and Chuck became a beloved stepfather to Jeff, Doug, and Zack.
In 1990, Chuck and Linda merged their respective businesses to become one of the first husband-and-wife teams at Morgan Stanley. During their 25-year business partnership and 33-year marriage, they built their life around their family, their friends, and their clients.
Chuck was born July 19, 1944, in Caracas, Venezuela, to Charles and Anita Cabrera. During much of Chuck’s and his younger brother Robert’s early years, the family lived in South America, where their father worked for Chevron as a government liaison, and Chuck became fluent in Spanish.
Chuck embraced sports and good-natured competition from an early age. He was on his high school golf team, and he later took up tennis and became a first-rate club player. He enjoyed fly-fishing trips to Alaska, Belize, and other far-flung destinations. He spent many years playing shuffleboard at the Kingfish Pub in Berkeley, and during his school and bachelor days he rarely missed a Cal football game.
His dedication to staying active and playing golf lasted to the very end, despite the limitations Parkinson’s imposed on him. In honor of Chuck and his indomitable spirit, the Men’s Club Association at The Citrus Club in La Quinta renamed its members’ tournament The Cabrera Member/Member Calcutta, and his CITTCO Golf Group renamed its tournament The Cabrera Cup.
He leaves behind his wife, Linda; stepsons Jeff, Doug, and Zack; their wives Kelly, Deborah, and Hayden; his beautiful grandchildren Jordan, Kody, Anastasia, and Beckett; his brother, Robert; and a host of friends far and wide.
Donations may be made to The Parkinson’s Resource Organization in Palm Desert and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.