Wells passes away

Chuck Wells, president of the Governing Board of the Vallecitos School District and longtime community member, passed away on Sunday morning, May 1. Chuck had been suffering from cancer since November 2004.

Chuck was fighting a squamous cell carcinoma, which is an aggressive head and neck cancer. He attended the Burzynski Institute in Texas for treatment and responded well in February and March as the cancer went into remission. Although he was recovering under his latest treatment, his health quickly declined this past week. He went into a coma and died in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Wells family moved to Rainbow in 1995. Since that time, Chuck had a significant impact on the community. He was involved with the Internet wiring project at Vallecitos School, the first school to be wired in San Diego County. He participated in the PTA and the Vallecitos Advisory Committee and was voted onto the Vallecitos School Board in November 2000, serving as president this past year. Chuck also sat on the Rainbow Advanced Institute Digital Charter High School’s Board of Directors and the North County Special Education Consortium’s Board of Trustee’s review committee, was involved with the Rainbow Property Owner’s Association and participated in the yearly Rainbow Cleanup Day with the RPOA and the Watershed Project. Additionally, Chuck set up the Fall Festival that first year in Rainbow to offer students a safe place to celebrate Halloween and coordinated the festival on October 31 and the Rainbow Days Picnic on Memorial Day weekend each year.

Most notably, however, Chuck Wells was known as a strong leader and an advocate of children’s rights to a high-quality educational program for all children regardless of special needs. His quiet leadership style always placed the safety and wellbeing of children first and foremost.

Chuck Wells was born in Twin Falls, ID, on March 18, 1962, the youngest of three children. He grew up in Mountain Home, ID, where his father owned a family restaurant. Chuck spent his high school years working for his dad in the restaurant and in 1983 began a business installing satellite dishes, designing home theaters and providing related computer services.

Chuck is survived by his wife, Sandy Wells; their six children, Lisa, Kristie, Karl, Jenni, Sally and Andy; and three grandchildren. Chuck and Sandy were married June 26, 1982, in Mountain Home.

The Wells family has requested that in lieu of flowers, any donations be directed to the Vallecitos School Scholarship Fund. Services are planned for Friday, May 6.

A special fund has been established at the Union Bank in Fallbrook to assist the family in this time of need. Any person(s) wishing to make a contribution may do so at: The Chuck Wells Fund (account #0811190271), Union Bank, 1678 S. Mission Rd., Fallbrook, CA 92028.