Charles Alexander Escoffery

25/02/1917 — 11/02/2013
A brief biography

Ancestors


Thomas Ada ±1710 —
Thomas Ada ±1734 —
William Ada 1767 — 1837
William Ada 1807 — 1883
Sophia Fletcher Ada 1833 —
Alexander James Grossmann 1834 —
Julia Sophia Grossmann 1858 —
Thomas Percy Bingham ±1856 —
Lorna Aline Bingham 1893 — 1985
Alberto Leopoldo Escoffery —
Charles Alexander Escoffery 1917 — 2013
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Spouse/Partner and Children


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Eunice Sayles —   Charles Albert Escoffery —   Escoffery  

Charles Alexander Escoffery


Son of Alberto Leopoldo Escoffery and Lorna Aline Bingham. .

Born in 1917, the seventh year of the reign of King George V, and died aged ninety-five in the sixty-first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II  He has 2 direct descendants in the family.


Charles Alexander Escoffery was born in Managua, Nicaragua of British parents Albert Leopold Escoffery and Lorna Aline Bingham.
His father was a Manager for the Royal Bank of Canada, traveling with his family over much of Central and South America while Charles was in his youth. Charles was educated at the Presbyterian Elementary School in Camajuani, Cuba, the Dominican Brothers High School in Barquisimento, Venezuela, Parsboro Regional High School in Parsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada, Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada and McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He received his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1944, and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Acadia University in 1970.

The first solar powered car

Charles was employed as Chief Chemist at International Telephone and Telegraph Corp, Newark, New Jersey, and International Rectifier Corp, El Segundo, California, where he was instrumental in the development of solar cells. In 1960, he toured both the United States and Europe with a 1910 Baker Electric automobile which he had outfitted with a panel of solar cells as an advertisement for International Rectifier Corporation.

The panel cost $20,000 and the Baker could run at 20 mph for three hours. International Rectifier intended to manufacture "noiseless, smogless" solar cars for $5000 each.

When Charles came to the UK, he was filmed arriving at the Royal Oak pub in Edenbridge in his solar powered car.

See this video on YouTube


Later life


Covenant Presbyterian Church

In 1963 he was employed by Hughes Aircraft, Los Angeles, from which he retired in 1980 and set up a small consulting company, Escotech. Charles moved his family to Westchester, California in 1950. He was active in Covenant Presbyterian Church as Clerk of Session and as a member of the choir. He was also founder of the Kentwood Toastmaster Club and an active volunteer at LAX Travelers Aid. His hobbies included music, chess, languages, golf and backgammon.

He also extensively researched his family history, including his Ada ancestors. Unfortunately his valuable website is no longer on line.

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Julia Sophia Grossmann

Augusto Sandino's mother
While in Managua, Julia befriended Margarita Calderón, an indigenous servant with the Sandino family and mother of Augusto Calderón Sandino. Both families' children were friends, which is why Augusto...

268 relatives found

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