I truly am not sure when I first met Charles Sommer, aka Mr. Lompoc, but it seems it must have been at a youth sporting event of some sort. Perhaps it was at his mother’s deli, but it was definitely through sports that I got to know Charles a bit better and came to witness and appreciate how he interacted with the youth in our community, giving them respect and genuinely listening to their concerns, hopes and dreams. And yet, it took many years for me to learn how involved Charles was in this community into which he was born.

Charles describes his childhood and upbringing as unique, having spent much of it in his mother’s business. Even as a toddler, he would interact with her customers on a regular basis, and he credits this experience for his friendly and open nature. It also afforded him the opportunity to see firsthand how wonderfully kind, polite, and welcoming the residents of our little town are, something he tries to exemplify to others and has taken to heart as an adult. It was this easy, comfortable, and friendly manner Charles has when dealing with different people and situations that I first noticed in my interactions with him.

In growing up and watching his mother, Angie, manage a successful small business, it is not surprising Charles listed her as the most influential in his life. As a single mother, she not only owned her own business, but she sometimes worked a second job, all while raising five children. It’s not easy just providing financial means to support a family, but she was also a Mom, imparting a mother’s love and wisdom to her children so that they would be successful in life. Taking that a step further, as a class assignment while attending Allan Hancock, Charles chose to do a report on his mother. “During the research portion, I discovered so many things about my mother that I didn’t know previously. She is the most interesting person I know,” he shares.

Through his love of sports Charles met Brad Memberto, a sportswriter for the Lompoc Record. It was a meeting that cemented a lasting friendship and helped solidify the concept of becoming a sports public address announcer for Charles. He states, “I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and through his encouragement, I expanded my love of sports while being a sports public address announcer. He mentored every chance he had, and I cherish the memories we shared through the years.” With this encouragement, Charles found himself working with various Lompoc High School and Allan Hancock sports teams doing sports public address and as play-by-play announcer in a live stream broadcast for over 15 years.

In working with the public, Charles came to appreciate how many unrecognized people behind the scenes make things happen. “The best part of what makes those people great is they don’t do it for accolades. They do it because they want to make Lompoc a place that is enjoyable for all who live or visit Lompoc,” he states. Ironically, for me, Charles is one of those individuals. He was the favorite emcee at the City’s annual skateboard competition for many years and served as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner from 2015 through early 2021. Charles volunteered his time coaching water polo and other sports, ultimately becoming the Lompoc Tsunami Aquatics swim team coach in 2016. He served on the board of the Lompoc Civic Theater and also acted, produced, or otherwise shared his time and talents with that organization and was a founding member of the Lompoc Disc Golf Committee. This committee was responsible for expanding the 9-hole course to an 18-hole course and maintaining it.

I had learned much about Charles in our years of working together in the community; still, it wasn’t until a chance comment to my son about this piece that I found out how much Charles had embodied a belief he had shared with me. My son shared with me how Charles had made a difference for him and his friends by cutting out newspaper articles mentioning students that came into the deli and having them on display for everyone to see. He also extended his congratulations to those who had made the paper. A simple gesture that brought much joy to everyone it touched, bringing to life Charles’ words, “There is so much negativity in the world, and being able to counter that, bringing joy to just one individual is worth whatever it takes to do so.”

Alas, as moments turn into days and days into years, change becomes a part of life, and Charles recently relocated with his wife, Becca, and daughter, Camilla, to Wisconsin. He shared this was the hardest decision as it meant leaving his hometown, but it was also the easiest as it meant supporting his wife in her career and being with her and his daughter. And yet, relocating several thousand miles away from the community that he loved and took so much care in representing hasn’t kept Charles from being Mr. Lompoc. He continues to assist with coordinating repairs for the disc golf course and is compiling stats for Lompoc High School’s football team from afar. So it is not goodbye, but ’til we meet again, remembering to focus on the joy of others as Charles has demonstrated so well for us through the years.