Charles R. Traeger

Charles R. Traeger died on December 31, 2024, at the age of 83. He was born on August 27, 1941, in Springfield, IL, to Charles A. and Esther (Netznik) Traeger. He graduated from Springfield High School and Southern Illinois University.

Charles married Sylvia Sigafoose on February 21, 1970. Together, they shared a life in the theater. Among the places they worked were: Corning Summer Theatre, Corning, NY; Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT; Center Stage, Baltimore, MD; Actors Theatre of Louisville, Louisville, KY; Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis, IN; Whole Theatre Company, Montclair, NJ; Glimmerglass Opera, Cooperstown, NY; The O’Neill Theater Center, Waterford, CT; Yale University, New Haven, CT; Woodstock Summer Festival, Woodstock, NY. Charles and Sylvia enjoyed the opportunity to travel to many places, including the Soviet Union, England, and Ireland.

Charles was involved in all aspects of theater production and was most passionate about playwriting. He wrote several plays, many of which were produced by the Flock Theater Company, New London, CT. He also had plays produced at Woodstock Theater Festival, Woodstock, NY: and the InFusion Theater Company, Chicago, IL. Theater was a major thread throughout Charles’s life. He and Sylvia thoroughly enjoyed attending hundreds, if not thousands, of productions, ranging from small regional theatres to Broadway.

Charles was predeceased by his parents, Charles A and Esher (Netznik) Traeger. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia, of almost 55 years.

Charles’s memory will also live on through his sister, Janet Schick and her husband Robert Schick, along with his niece, Suzanne (Schick) Dickey and nephew, Todd Schick, and their families, as well as several cousins. He will also be fondly remembered by his numerous friends and his extended family of “theater kids” that he and Sylvia mentored through the years.

There will be a celebration of life in the Spring of 2025 on a date to be determined.

If you would like to honor Charles’s memory, please consider donating either to the Benjamin Mordecai Scholarship at David Geffen School of Drama at Yale (and mail such donation to: David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, Development Office, PO Box 208244, New Haven, CT 06520), or to The Voorhees, NJ Animal Orphanage by clicking this link .