Charles Hubbard
Charles Hubbard was born on a sugar cane plantation in Donsonville, Louisiana., on October 31,1910. Farm work dominated his youth, but he managed to graduate high school in 1928. He is a retired construction superintendent.
He spent most of the 1930’s crisscrossing the country doing seasonal labor from Maine to Florida, and from Virginia to California. Charles states, "When you come from the sugar cane farm, just about everything is fun".
During World War II he served as a Merchant Seaman. He acquired further education in Blueprint and Construction Engineering at Rutgers University and earned a certification in 1953.
Charles is acutely aware of what denial cost. In 1978 he was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. At the time he was a business agent in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. This was a man who represented the Union before an association of general contractors. He made a living with his commanding voice, which he could bend to what ever shapes he wanted, including intimidation. He was active in community activities. He waited two years to get four separate opinions on his cancer. All of the doctors said the same thing.
Finally on June 25, 1980, he underwent surgery for laryngectomy. His surgery was performed by Dr. Shaw at Sloan Kettering. Charles speaks using esophageal speech. He doesn’t use any of the valuable aids to speak. Many aids were not available when he had his surgery. He speaks in short phases with frequent pauses to take in air. He states, "I used to be long winded. Many times my wife had to pull my coat tail". After his surgery he was an active member of Garden State Nu-Voice Club, laryngectomees counselor and served as liaison between doctors and patients.
He lived in New Jersey for more than Forty Years before moving to College Park, GA. He was married to his first wife Ernestine Kegler, who died in 1983. They raised four children, in which all are college graduates that reside in the Atlanta area. He has fourteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He married his second wife in 1987, "Consuella Smith Hubbard". When he moved to Georgia in 1987, he met Jane Delvecchio and became an active member of greater voice master. He is a familiar face in almost every Metro-Atlanta hospital, where he spent time talking, listening, and counseling cancer patients including his fellow laryngectomees. Presently patients and families who are referred by there doctors come to his home and he talks with the patient and the family. He states, "I talk with the family because the whole family is involved in recovery".
While in New Jersey he was active in policies, the Elks, and also the Masons just to name a few. He has always been an active church member. At 96 years old, he is still active in community activities, drives his car daily, wears glasses only for reading, splits his own fire wood while working in his yard. He enjoys playing Texas Holdem, Poker, and surfing the web. He also has the latest cell phone so that his family can keep up with him!
Charles Hubbard has lived an extraordinary life. Recently he took a flight to New Jersey. While there he visited Dr. Shaw at Sloan Kettering. Dr. the Shaw spent the whole day taking him on rounds to visit patients and to talk to the interns. Charles is DEEP! He is almost a mystical source of experience. For the cancer patients or anyone who sick, his vitality is stirring. In 1997, a policeman pulled Charles over for doing 80mph on I-75. The policeman looked at his licensed, shook his head, and said, "The only thing I can say pops, is God Bless You". Charles is truly a remarkable person.
Charles Hubbard Jr.