J. Charles, 91; Cheery ‘Waving Man’

Joseph W. Charles, a gentle spirit who brightened the commute of motorists in Berkeley for 30 years, died Thursday of heart failure at an Oakland hospital. He was 91.

Charles earned his nickname “Waving Man” for his practice of standing on a busy Berkeley street corner to wave a cheerful hello and offer words of encouragement to motorists in passing cars.

By the time he retired in 1992, for health reasons, Charles had been featured in newspaper and television reports worldwide.

For a city better known for making political waves, the charming and unassuming Charles was a beacon of goodwill.

“He was the heart of Berkeley,” said Julie Conger, an Alameda County Superior Court judge and longtime friend. “He was just a wonderful, wonderful man.”

Charles began his routine in 1962, a custom that started informally with a casual wave to a neighbor.

At first, he said, he got some stares and his wife wanted to know “if I was crazy.” But, gradually, his cheerful waves and benediction “You keep smiling” became a staple of the morning drive.

In 1971, Charles retired from his regular job at the Oakland Naval Supply Center, but he still rose each day at 6:30 a.m. to take up his post on Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Although he became a Berkeley landmark, Charles wasn’t a native Californian.

He was born in Lake Charles, La., and moved to the Bay Area in the 1940s, part of the migration of southern blacks in search of work in the booming shipyards of World War II.

Charles’ legacy, said his friends, will be his smile, his wave and his often-repeated exhortation to “Have a good day!”