Charles Emmanuel Dominique

Charles Emmanuel Dominique, 51, of Sunrise, FL, passed away on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, surrounded by loving family.

Charles was born on March 21, 1973, in Washington, D.C., the son of Charles Nicolas Dominique and Lucienne Fethiere Dominique. Even as a child, his mother says he was very caring, very serious, and never gave any problems. He just worked and went to school.  When he was 15, he worked at a pet store and his responsible demeanor led to the owner leaving town and leaving Charles in charge of feeding the snakes and birds. After his shift his dad picked him up and he was sweating bullets. His dad thought something was wrong but didn't give it much thought. It turns out Charles didn't feed the animals and they nearly died! The owner called Charles to let him know he no longer had the job and at the time it was a serious matter. But it became an inside family joke that made them laugh throughout the years.

After graduating North Miami Senior High School in Miami in 1992, Charles was accepted to University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, where he made his home from 1992 to 1998. He was a beloved and integral figure at the Economics Department and as a work study student and in the town of Athens. Upon his graduation from UGA, the faculty and staff gave him an award as the “tenured work study student.” A true scholar, Charles had a paper accepted into a scholarly journal, which is quite rare for an undergraduate. While at UGA, he adopted a large Rottweiler named Titan. Being 6’8” and very tall, on many occasions he would get confused as a member of the UGA basketball team. After Tubby Smith’s 1997 made the Sweet 16 and Tubby was hired away to Kentucky, people all over town would stop him and tell how sorry they were that his coach had left. Charles loved the people, the restaurants and bars and music scene of downtown Athens. He couldn’t stay in college forever, but tried to make it last as long as he could. After getting a double major in Finance and Economics and with few academic challenges left to conquer, he left Athens and moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1998, where he worked in logistics and finance but would often visit Athens when he had the opportunity. He rarely missed a UGA Dawg game, either attending them in person or rooting for them on television. On Game Day, he enjoyed a Manhattan and could pour a good one as well. In 2003, Charles had the opportunity to return to his South Florida roots and be closer to family and accepted a job at Nextera Energy, where he remained employed for over 21 years, until his passing. He was dedicated to excellence and filled many roles on the Nextera trading floor, primarily on the real-time trading Hourly Desk. He was a valued team member at Nextera and a beloved and respected contributor. Perhaps due to his old habits from his days in Athens, he preferred flexibility in his schedule and often worked night shifts, so much that one of his nicknames at work was the "Grim Reaper” because he had to wake colleagues in the middle of the night with concerns with work, and also called the "Gentle Giant" because of his stature and calm demeanor. Although committed to his job and the company, he would make sure he had enough days off to pursue his other passions, such as travel, mixed martial arts, fishing, spearfishing, and freediving. He was an accomplished martial artist, earning a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 

Charles met Beatriz Perez on Memorial Day weekend in 2009 and married December 3, 2011 in Key West, FL with an intimate gathering of their closest friends and family. They celebrated their nuptials at the Speakeasy Inn, a historical Key West establishment held dear as it reflected their shared love for the Keys and rum. Bea and Charles were each other's biggest champions supporting their goals and aspirations to the fullest. Between them, nothing was left unsaid. Their mutual respect, support, and understanding allowed them to be their truest selves. They were a force of love that was truly god sent. Bea will fondly remember Charles for many special things, most notably his green thumb and planting specimens especially for her like the ylang-ylang tree, two purple jacarandas, an ackee tree, and multiple orchids he placed around their home because he knew her love for them. He could make the grill sizzle and even though Bea did not eat meat, he still prepared mouth-watering fish and veggies. And despite his resistance, Charles accepted the many different rescues that came through their home. During their marriage, Charles and Bea were the proud parents of many pets; Goliath, Louis, Rallo, Butters (Charles's favorite), Whitefella, Toadisha, Wallace, Gloria, and Gianni.

Charles's love for the ocean continued through his marriage and it became a cornerstone of their love for one another. Bea and Charles often picked vacation destinations that highlighted his love for the sea and frequently visited Belize, Turkey, Greece, Turks & Caicos, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. When relaxing, you could find Charles watching his Georgia Bulldogs drinking a good glass of rum, smoking a cherished Cuban cigar, grilling on the patio, fishing in the backyard, eating food from locales like Seville or Santorini, or enjoying steak night with the boys.

Remaining to cherish Charles’s memory are wife, Beatriz Perez; pets, Toadisha, Butters, Gloria, and Gianni; mother, Lucienne Fethiere Dominique; brother, Alix Nicolas Dominique; sister, Fabienne Ina Marie Dominique; cousin, Marc Dominique; nieces and nephews, Dean El Dannaoui, Léa Lopez, Nicolas Lopez, Brienna Dominique, Kelsey Dominique, Alyssa Emmel, Marissa Emmel, and Miguel Del Rosario.

Preceding Charles in death is father, Charles Nicolas Dominique.

Visitation and Memorial services will be held Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm at T.M. Ralph Funeral Homes - 7001 NW 4th St, Plantation, FL 33317 Plantation, FL,  with Deacon Nestor Cardenas officiating.  Charles will be cremated and his ashes spread in his favorite place, the ocean. 

Donations in Charles’s memory may be directed to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where Charles was a member and where he often found solace.

Online condolences may be shared at T.M. Ralph's online site.