We note with sadness the passing of former Joyce Foundation President and Board Member Emerita Charles U. Daly. Chuck, as he was known to friends and colleagues, passed away on Wednesday, January 21, at his home in Chatham, Mass. He was 98.
Chuck served as the Foundation’s president from 1978 to 1986 and remained a Board member until his retirement at age 92 in 2019. He is credited with professionalizing the Foundation created more than 75 years ago by lumber heiress Beatrice Joyce Kean. He curated many of the Foundation’s core strategies, including the commitment to the Great Lakes region and focusing on studying societal issues and facilitating resources for our most vulnerable citizens. This evolved into the Foundation’s current focus on racial equity and economic mobility.
He notably advocated for the Foundation’s early investments in gun violence prevention and maintained a keen eye toward the “long game” of long-term research and policy development in all the Foundation’s key program areas.
Chuck was a proud son of Ireland, born in Blackrock on May 29, 1927 – a birthday he shared with President John F. Kennedy. Chuck served as an aide in the Kennedy administration and, according to his family, was the last living member of President Kennedy’s West Wing staff. Chuck also was a U.S. Marine and Korean War veteran who was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Chuck’s values around making the greatest use of philanthropic resources for the greatest number is perfectly captured in his 2020 memoir “Make Peace or Die." He wrote, “We could babysit our money all we wanted, but it wouldn’t do any good if we didn’t connect with people in the communities who shared our dreams of peace and our will to take action to help those dreams become reality.”
His expansive bio is shaped by his deep appreciation for humanity and dedication to public service. His tenures included higher education administration at Harvard University and the University of Chicago, and Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Chuck also worked on solving many complex global issues, including peace in Northern Ireland as a founding member of The Ireland Fund, as well as South Africa’s HIV/AIDS crisis.
We are indebted to Chuck's robust vision for the Foundation, the Great Lakes region and our entire sector, and fortunate that so much of his ethos still lives on in our mission, vision, and values. We extend warm condolences and prayers to his wife, Christine, and four sons.
A memorial service will be held in Massachusetts, followed by interment with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
About The Joyce Foundation
Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.