Christopher Douglas Charles was a passionate advocate and community builder. He was known for his deep kindness, spiritual grounding and unwavering commitment to equity—especially in Indigenous health, inclusive education and mental wellness.

Chris was set to graduate from the UBC School of Nursing in May 2025. In March, his life was tragically cut short just days before his 40th birthday. The loss of his bright and compassionate spirit has left a deep ache in the hearts of all who knew him.

As both a student and longtime staff member at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, Chris worked to ensure that all students—particularly those from historically marginalized communities—had equitable access to education. Drawing from his own experiences navigating barriers in the classroom and clinical spaces, he helped champion a project at UBC focused on making nursing education more accessible to all learning styles. His efforts supported tools and strategies that better serve visual, auditory, kinesthetic and neurodiverse learners.

To honour Chris’s vision and to keep his legacy alive, donations to the Christopher Charles Memorial Fund will go directly to support students in the UBC School of Nursing. Final decisions on the allocation of funds will be made in consultation with Christopher’s family.