Charles Robert Wolfe

Aug. 13, 1949 - Feb. 18, 2025

Charles Robert “Bob” Wolfe passed away peacefully Tuesday, Feb. 18 at his Pacific Grove home. He was 75. A materials scientist and engineer, Wolfe spent the better part of his career working on the National Ignition Facility, a Department of Energy project managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Before that, he was an engineer at Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, NY, and worked in several Silicon Valley start-ups, including MMR Company, which produced micro-miniature refrigerators used in chip manufacturing, and Jenmar Visual Systems, a rear projection television technology company. Born Aug. 13, 1949, Wolfe earned his PhD in Materials Science at Stanford University in 1983, his MS from the University of Rochester in 1978, and his BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1971. He graduated Millford Mill High School, in Baltimore, MD, in 1967. As a consultant for the Levelor Blinds Company, Wolfe developed and patented a new paint formulation that minimized the accumulation of dust particles on the slats. Marketed as “Dust-less,” the product was a sensation for the company. In 2005, Wolfe initiated and invested with partners in the U.S. and India to launch Integral Biosciences (IBS), a drug discovery incubator. He made numerous trips to New Delhi to source materials and oversee construction of state-of-the-art, FDA-compliant laboratories. Since its opening in 2008, IBS has partnered with US-based, small- to mid-sized biotech companies to develop two approved drugs, two Phase I, two Phase II, and several pre-clinical pharmaceutical candidates. Through a series of investments and partnerships, Wolfe oversaw the sale of IBS’ US subsidiary to a public company in 2023. In retirement, Wolfe was an enthusiastic volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and an active member of the Rotary Club of Pacific Grove. Wolfe’s proudest accomplishments by far were his two children. He is survived by a brother, John Thomas Wolfe, of Washington, D.C., and his children, John Charles Wolfe of Menlo Park, CA, and Sam(Sarah) Wolfe of Seattle, WA.