The first weeks of 2016 have brought announcements of the passing of various global superstars. This past weekend, the KSFR family learned we’d lost one of our own superstars: Dr. Charles Maynard.
Born and raised in New Mexico, Charles received a BA in Psychology from Texas Christian University, and went on to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. He was the author of two books: Thriving Through Devastating Illness, published in 2014; and Adventures of a Small Town Doctor, published in 2015, which chronicles his experience as the only doctor in a small town in rural New Mexico.
Charles began working at KSFR as a staff reporter in 2010, under then-News Director Bill Dupuy. Thanks to his background in medicine, Charles was KSFR’s go-to guy for healthcare reporting, covering issues ranging from the state’s health insurance exchange to a New Mexico-based dating service for people living with mental illness.
Charles’ feature stories for KSFR went beyond health topics, too: he covered the Occupy Santa Fe movement, gang violence in the Santa Fe area, and even the appearance of glowing cacti in New Mexico that some believed to be of alien origin. He reported on the Las Conchas fire in 2011, even while KSFR was reduced to online streaming only, after the fire knocked out our radio tower. He was interviewed about Northern New Mexico’s largest-ever wildfire by Robin Young on NPR’s Here & Now.
Charles was known for balancing great news sense with a sweet and personal approach to feature reporting. As some New Mexicans have already begun to experience allergy symptoms over the sunny President’s Day weekend, KSFR brings you this rebroadcast of an interview Charles conducted in 2011 with Santa Fe-based allergist Dr. James Susman.
Take it away, Charles.