Born Karl Wolfe, Brother Charles left Germany for Ireland with his family when he was very young. Ireland became his home and it was at the school here that he encountered the La Salle Brothers who totally transformed his life. He was impressed by their dedication to nurture young people to bring out the best in them. This influenced him to join the La Salle Order and there was no turning back for the young man.  As is the practice with the La Salle Brothers, he adopted another name Charles Levin when he took the final vow ……. Charles was the closest version to his German name Karl. During his teaching days, he made a deep impression on all those whose lives he had touched. They remember him fondly even though they had left school decades ago. “We will always have time for him,” said Roland Lim and a few of his class-mates (class of 79) at one of the monthly social gatherings of Xaverians not too long ago. Brother Charles is the longest serving principal of St. Xavier’s from 1966 to 1979 having taught at the school since 1954. He also had a tour of duty at St. George’s Taiping from 1982 to 1992

An accomplished pianist; a linguist speaking fluent Bahasa Malaysia, English, German, French and Mandarin; a teacher mathematician, a friend and an administrator all rolled into one …… that’s Brother Charles, you see …. (just to borrow his famous signature phrase each time he speaks). What sort of a manner of man is he?

I have fond memories of him; I remember him well as he taught me Additional Maths in Form 4 and Form 5. Then, I had the fortune of having him again as my Class Teacher in Lower 6 Science. Apart from his ‘You see’ signature phrase, I like the way he blew at the tip of the chalk each time after writing on the blackboard … as if to make doubly sure that his explanations get blown across to us.

He had a terrific memory. I remember bumping into him along Penang Road the first time after having been absent from Malaysia for about a decade. I was just about to re-introduce myself as his former student when he stopped me and said, “Don’t tell me. You are, you are Ng ……………”.  Such superb memory!

Though landscaping is taking a lot of his time, Brother Charles in his capacity as the Director of the La Salle Community, Penang is responsible for looking after the welfare of his fellow Brothers and 3 Brothers’ schools in the north inclusive of SXI. Since the demise of Brother Augustus de Rozario, he has also committed himself to manage and develop the B.A.M. Library for the visually-handicapped which is located on the ground floor below the Brothers’ quarters. In one of his letters to me, he mentions that he is taking proactive steps to make the library:

Quote:

"more serviceable to a greater clientele ….. to make facilities available at weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, which would not only serve the already  existing institutions  (for the blinds)  but also make  available facilities for working people. This is a big step forward.” .... unquote.

In commemoration of the Double Jubilee Anniversary (350^th year of the birth of the founder, John Baptist de La Salle and 150^th year of the birth of the La Salle Order in Singapore and Malaysia), he had a big statute of the founder, about 5 feet tall in cast iron on a granite pedestal to be put up at the front of the school facing Farquhar Street. It will surely be a landmark of the island in the near future. His second project in connection thereto was the decoration of the corridor wall, middle floor, facing the science quadrangle - a big blue star on top with the words: Signum Fidei written in gold beneath. Directly below this is the school motto: Labor Omnia Vincit, also inscribed in gold on a granite base.

So much more can be said of this tireless man with simple charm, unassuming and with quiet  dignity, always having his students’ well-being at heart. He has done well and is now reaping the fruits of a teacher’s labour as his students acquired strong moral values and appreciating him in return. He recalled the day he retired when he received a very touching letter from a student saying, “I don’t know what to do now that you won’t be around.”  On reflection, he said:

“These expressions of thanks makes it all worthwhile as you know that you have done something for others and accomplished something that gives you satisfaction,”  … quoting Star’s interview report last year.

I can safely speak on behalf of all Xaverians: We appreciate you Good Brother. You will always be in our hearts.