A Family Legacy Of Service

FOR JOANNE AND Jim Charles, life’s story is written in both science and harmony. Their marriage—rooted in medicine, music, and mutual respect—has shaped a life of service, both to their patients and to the Ridgewood community they’ve called home for more than three decades.

A SERENDIPITOUS BEGINNING

Their story began in 1978 at Saint Mary Hospital in Hoboken, New Jersey. Joanne, one of the first nurses in New Jersey to earn a Master of Science in Nursing from Hunter College, was working as a nursing supervisor. Jim, then a fourth-year medical student at Rutgers Medical School in Newark, happened upon a flyer—“literally fallen from the sky,” as he recalls—that advertised a primary care elective on Joanne’s floor. Fate stepped in, and their paths crossed.

“Joanne rapidly elevated her career from staff nurse to nursing supervisor, to managing the development of the nursing staff at Palisades-Hackensack Meridian Medical Center,” says Jim. “She also authored a manual for nursing orientation. Upon completing my residency in 1982, we started our neurology practice under her clinical and business leadership, while I treated our patients. Today, she is the practice administrator of a staff of nine professionals. Without Joanne, the practice would not be in existence.”

BUILDING A HOME IN RIDGEWOOD

In 1994, the couple moved to Ridgewood with their two daughters, Christine and Francine. “The quality of the schools and community of people who share the same goals continues,” Jim reflects. “Joanne and I observe that the community went from child/parent 30 years ago to child/parent/grandparent. It’s amazing how we are not the only grandparents at the games and concerts—which is an affirmation of the town’s solidarity. Many seniors are not moving out of Ridgewood.”

Their daughters thrived in the Ridgewood public schools—Christine as section leader for the marching band flute section, and Francine as a clarinetist performing in all-state and north regional ensembles. Both have carried their parents’ example of service forward: Christine is now an oncology nurse, and Francine earned a master’s in math education from New York University.

Today, the next generation carries on the Charles family’s musical legacy. “We have six grandchildren ranging in age from seven to 15 who play the following instruments: trumpet, percussion, oboe, cello, piano, and clarinet,” says Jim. “When Christine and Francine played the flute and clarinet at Ridgewood High School, the program was top-notch—as it is now with our older grandchildren.”

MUSIC, LEARNING, AND THE MIND

For Jim, medicine and music are deeply connected. “I grew up poor in Jersey City and lived in a tenement building,” he recalls. “The public schools offered three instruments with group lessons: trumpet, clarinet, and violin. My parents feared we would be evicted with a loud instrument, so I chose the violin.”

Research—and his own experience—backs the link between music and brain development. “Children who engage seriously in the performing arts often do well academically,” he says. “Consistent musical training enhances connectivity between the two brain hemispheres. Executive functioning, language, and literacy development are also strengthened. Self-discipline, persistence, and collaboration—all key factors in creative problem-solving—are strengthened. Virtually all students in lead roles of plays, choir soloists, and those who sit in the first chair in band and orchestra almost always attend tier-one colleges.”

A PARTNERSHIP IN MEDICINE

In addition to their musical legacy, Joanne and Jim have built one of northern New Jersey’s most respected neurology practices, combining compassionate care with academic rigor.

“Thanks to Joanne’s leadership, we have a university-level practice that treats all neurological disorders from ages 10 and up,” Jim explains. “We take in fourth-year Rutgers medical students for a preceptorship in neurology.”

Jim holds subspecialty certification in headache medicine and directs the Headache Treatment Program for refractory migraines at Holy Name Medical Center—one of the few such programs in the region, even though migraines are one of the most common causes of disability in those under the age of 50, with 50% of migraine patients left undiagnosed or treated incorrectly.

“Myths such as impacted molars, wrong glasses, sinus headache, and psychic stress are rampant,” he notes. “Once a child or teen reaches six headache days per month, there is a high risk of progression to chronic migraine.”

Jim’s program offers hope for migraine sufferers through infusion therapies that can break cycles of pain lasting days or even weeks. “For patients with chronic refractory migraine (more than 15 headache days per month), the Headache Treatment Program at Holy Name is renowned for its success in both New York and New Jersey.

A LIFE WELL-LIVED IN RIDGEWOOD

Community life remains central to the Charles family’s story. “Joanne and I were band parents and were part of a committee that procured the first band truck for the marching band,” Jim shares. “I play violin in the Ridgewood Symphony, and in the music ministry of the Church of the Presentation, which has many Ridgewood parishioners. It’s where Carnegie Hall meets Catholic mass!”

Jim also served as the orchestra director of Jamboree for eight years after their last daughter graduated, and as a volunteer with the Ridgewood Education Foundation, where he secured a significant donation and organized the teen health series. Joanne was the treasurer of Friends of Music and continues to be a member of the College Club. The couple cherishes the small-town traditions that make Ridgewood special.

“The tree lighting ceremony and the elation of seeing the first band truck delivered to the Ridgewood High School marching band are fond memories for us,” Jim says. “Living two blocks from the high school, our house was an open house for our daughters and their friends. Now our oldest grandchild at the high school is enjoying the same campus open house with his friends.”

The Charles family’s story is a beautiful testament to Ridgewood’s enduring sense of community. After 46 years of marriage, Joanne and Jim still find joy in the rhythms of family, friendship, and faith, and appreciate the blessings of embracing family and friends throughout Ridgewood.

BY KRIS PEPPER