Individual Details

Death

Helen Charlotte "Charlen" Kyle, age 76, died on August 15, 2017, in Fairfax, Virginia, after a lengthy hospitalization.

Charlen was born August 22, 1941 in Washington, D. C., the oldest daughter of Dr. F. Raymond Fosberg and Violet Mildred Oliveira. She attended St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and received her B.A. from SUNY, Brockport, New York in Political Science.

Charlen dedicated the last fifty plus years of her life working with anti-poverty programs and other programs to help the needy, elderly and homeless. She has been involved with VISTA and Community Action of Western New York as well as in Fairfax, Virginia specializing in dealing with the problems the needy and homeless face. Issues such as lack of medical care, adult illiteracy, hunger, housing, transportation, (civil) legal assistance and education at all levels for all ages and populations were her special focus. Her social services involvement spanned all age groups starting with pioneering the establishment of Head Start through creation of senior services delivery systems and other beneficial community programs. Being a part of the betterment of the lives of people in Orleans County, NY and being involved in Orleans County Community Action initiatives was something she thoroughly enjoyed and took great pride in.

During her career dealing with benefit programs Charlen has been a policy maker, an administrator, a grants writer, a social worker, a recipient, a paralegal, a journalist, librarian and a teacher. These experiences gave Charlen an encyclopedic knowledge of nearly every government social program since 1964. She has testified before Congress; she has participated in Congressional bill mark-up sessions and appeared at multiple conferences. Charlen was one the first voices that led to the Section 8 Rent Supplement Program, now known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Charlen is one of the longest serving Commissioners on the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. She took special pride in being part of the building of Olley Glen Senior Residences, the 8th affordable living facility developed by the FCRHA, and Little River Glen where she had the pleasure of living for the last 10 years of her life.

Charlen was a voracious reader, and spent her free time doing genealogy, bead work, and participating in several online current event groups.

Charlen's parents and her sister Ilima Sylva predeceased her. She is survived by her sisters Hildie Osley of Hatfield, Massachusetts, Karol Bradford of Turners Falls, Massachusetts, her daughter Heather Kyle of Middleburg, Virginia, grandson Ryan Kyle of Roanoke, Virginia, her son Patrick Kyle, daughter in-law Kelly Kyle, grandsons Christian Kyle and Morgan Kyle, and granddaughter Emilyn Kyle of Whitefish, Montana, her long-time love Dan Garnitz of Fairfax, Virginia and numerous nieces and nephews in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Hawaii.

A memorial service is being planned by the family. There will be no internment, as Charlen has asked that her ashes be scattered over places that meant a lot to her.

In lieu of flowers donations to the following charities in her name are being accepted-

Food For Others
The Humane Society
The Nature Conservancy
The Sierra Club

Cremation

Ashes scattered, Specifically over Shenandoah National Park and Big Meadows