Charles Flavelle

Class of 2007

Chuck was born February 8, 1929, in Vancouver, Canada. He attended Prince of Wales H.S. in Vancouver and the University of British Columbia. He and Lucile were married in September 1955 at Dominion Douglas United Church in Montreal, and together they raised four children: Karen, Scott, Alix and Keith.

A 44-year veteran of the candy business, Chuck purchased Vancouver-based retail confectioner R.C. Purdy Chocolates Ltd. in 1963. He served as president until he passed the business on to his daughter Karen and took the role of chairman of the board in 2003.

Chuck was honored as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996 and is a past member of the Confectionery Manufacturers’ Association of Canada, past president of Retail Confectioners International and former member of the Canadian Committee of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

He is currently a member of the World Cocoa Foundation and was nominated for the Kettle Award in 1992.

Chuck says the key to his success has been the ability to understand the whole picture of a business, from sourcing new materials to manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sales.

The building of Choklit Park in 1970, a children’s adventure playground, was one of the most memorable moments of Chuck’s career. He also looks back proudly on the construction of the company’s state-of-the-art, 57,000-square-foot facility in the early 1980s.

In his free time, he enjoys skiing, vintage motorcycles, cabin building and spending time in his basement workshop. He is also involved in numerous clubs, including the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise, of which he is a founding member and past president, the Alexandra Neighborhood House and the Rotary Club of Vancouver.

Charles passed away on May 27, 2024, at the age of 95.