Charles 'Charlie' Skinner, 38, computer whiz

By Rick Badie

For the AJC

Charles Skinner was a natural at computers.

Within a couple of days, he could learn any computer language. Then he'd become proficient at programming in it.

When he was a teen,  he'd fiddle with the software used at his father's carpet business.  His father's computer consultants would detect the work. They didn't mind, though.

"They recognized his talent,"  said Aileen Perez Skinner, his wife of 13 years. "It was a natural talent."

Mike Bixby of Miami was one of the elder Skinner's  computer consultants. When he and partner John Simon  launched their own firm,  Engineered Business Systems (EBS),  a company that developed credit-reporting software, they  hired Mr. Skinner.

He was 18.

"Charlie was our senior programmer who was in charge of people who had degrees in computer science," Mr. Bixby said.  "He had a natural curiosity and skills, and he understood how things worked."

"He had just the ability to look at a problem and absorb the depth and complexity of it and put together a plan to solve it,"  added Mr. Simon, who now lives in Duluth.

"And he had no formal training."

In 1989,  Mr. Skinner  graduated from Gulliver Preparatory Academy in Coral Gables, Fla. From there, he began his career in the mortgage  software development and technology field.

Charles William  "Charlie"  Skinner, 38, of  Duluth died Wednesday from a brain tumor at his home. A memorial service will be held at 11 am. Saturday at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta.

In 1997, the professional relationship Mr. Skinner forged at  EBS led to a job opportunity in Atlanta.  At the time, Mr. Simon was chief technology officer for a mortgage software business.

He hired Mr. Skinner to be his vice president of software development and technical strategy. Aside from the technical know-how,  he liked the way Mr. Skinner dealt with personnel.

"Charlie had the ability to listen to people," Mr. Simon said. "He never turned anybody away."

While he understood computers, Mr. Skinner was far from the stereotypical geek, said his wife, also a Miami native.

"He was  super outgoing, and he had a charisma with people," she said. "He was best as a leader, bringing others along."

In 2007, Mr. Skinner was  diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Doctors gave him six months to live. However, his life was prolonged through treatment at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University.

"We've known each other and been together so long," his wife said. "It's going to be tough for me to move along without him."

Additional survivors include a 6-year-old son, William Charles Skinner of Duluth; his mother, Shirley Skinner of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and two sisters, Terry Krieble of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Patricia Brehmer of  Port  St. Lucie.