Charles Todd was born in Kansas in 1915. Geraldine was also born in Kansas but was raised in Des Moines, Iowa. Following her high school graduation, she moved to Chicago. Around 1937, she joined her mother and siblings in LA. She met Charles there in 1948 as he was attending the University of Southern California on the G.I. Bill and working toward completing his Master’s degree in fine arts. They married in 1950 and settled down in Tucson, Arizona, where Karen and Chrystal were born and grew up.
Charles was an art teacher with the Tucson Public School District for his entire career. He started his work with middle school students and later moved to high school arts instruction. The sisters remember Geraldine as dedicated to community work. She was a charter member of the Links, Incorporated chapter in Tucson. Charles was also very involved in the community organizations, including his fraternity, the NAACP, and Tucson Big Brothers.
