By|PublishedMay 25, 2018|UpdatedMay 25, 2018 July 4, 1928 — May 23, 2018 It’s just one snapshot of a long, successful life, but it could be among the most significant. In 1972, court-ordered busing to desegregate Buffalo schools raised racial tensions, leading to student clashes. University District Common Council member Charles Adam Volkert, a Republican, opposed busing. But when violence hit Kensington High School, he and state Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve went there. In his 1998 book, "Desegregation in Boston and Buffalo: The Influence of Local Leaders," author Steven J.L. Taylor tells the story: "Eve, Volkert and Ted Kirkland, a popular black policeman, walked to the front of the school, where blacks and whites were facing each other off. They brought the students together, walked inside and conversed about the school’s problems. This prevented the situation from becoming violent." "This story shows you exactly what he was most proud of," said Mr. Volkert’s son,Charles Adam "Chad" Volkert III. "Whether it was a Democrat or a Republican, he understood how to cross party lines, collaborate, and work together for the betterment of Buffalo. And all of his stories were about what he did with his colleagues to better the city, to improve relations." Mr. Volkert died on May 23 in Fort Lauderdale after an illness. Although he and his wife moved south in 1983, they maintained close ties with Western New York, retaining property in Buffalo and spending summers until 2006 in the Bertie Bay cottages they bought in 1968, said their son. Mr. Volkert served a single term on the Buffalo Common Council, representing the University District from 1972 to 1974, and ran unsuccessfully for County Legislature in 1973. But he is best known for operating, with his wife, Nancy, the John Robert Powers modeling, finishing and career development school, which at its height in the 1970s and 1980s, had eight branches and graduated more than 5,000 students a year. The Volkerts later operated the Volkert Career Center in Buffalo and Florida. Born on Wallace Avenue in Buffalo, Mr. Volkert, known as Chuck, was the son of Charles A. Volkert and Gertrude King Volkert. His work ethic developed early after his father, who had operated the Shoemaker and Volkert candy factory at 756 Broadway, was financially devastated by the Great Depression and died in 1939. So Mr. Volkert worked three jobs before age 12 to help support his mother and younger brother, Richard. Starting as early as 5 a.m., Mr. Volkert delivered newspapers and worked in the basement storage area of a nearby furniture store. After school, he helped out in a neighborhood butcher shop. Mr. Volkert graduated from Bennett High School in 1948 and from theUniversity of Buffalo in 1952 with a business degree. After college he opened an insurance company, followed by his own real estate firms, Realty World and C.A. Volkert Inc. During the 35 years he owned C.A. Volkert Inc., it owned more than 60 rental buildings,employed more than 30 people and sold hundreds of houses a year. "He perfected a real estate model to allow low-income families to purchase their first homes," said his son. "He would literally hold the mortgage and negotiate with the bank and pay the deposit to allow people who could never imagine purchasing a home to be able to purchase a home. They would never qualify for a bank loan. He was able to do that hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times." After Mr. Volkert married Nancy Walter on Jan. 14, 1961, the couple bought the franchise rights to John Robert Powers modeling, finishing and career development school, opening their first office in 1964 in a building they owned at 310 Delaware Ave. Through the 1980s, they opened John Robert Powers locations in AM&A’s department stores throughout Buffalo as well as in Rochester, St. Catharines, Clearwater, Fla., and Montclair, N.J. Mr. Volkert was president of the company. In a 1979 Buffalo Evening News story about the business, a reporter wrote that the couple transformed modeling locally from a "non-profession" to a million-dollar business. The Delaware Avenue building became headquarters for their modeling and self-improvement school, and they branched out to offer a model agency, an acting and drama school, a boutique featuring clothes by local designers, the Salad Gazebo Health Food Restaurant, and the Finishing Touch Boutique, which sold their own line of cosmetics. They employed 65 people. After selling the Powers franchises in 1983 when they moved to Sarasota, the couple opened the Volkert Career Center in Buffalo and Florida. It operated until the 1990s. Through Mr. Volkert’s involvement with the Jaycees and their businesses, the couple traveled across North and South America, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Russia, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Japan and Hong Kong. In 1969, the Volkers escorted several models from their agency on a three-week tour of the fashion showrooms of Rome, Florence, Paris and London. Mr. Volkert served as president of the Sarasota Republican Club for more than 10 years and tripling it in size. Mr. Volkert taught real estate courses for many years at Bryant & Stratton College and at Bert Rodgers School of Real Estate in Florida. In Buffalo, he was a lifelong member of Holy Trinity Church, devoting himself to church events and Christian education. Mr. Volkert was a Rotarian for more than 40 years, serving as president of the Buffalo Rotary Club and the Sarasota Rotary Club. He was a three-time winner of Rotary’s Paul Harris Award. He was also a high-ranking member of the Masonic Lodge, his son said. He was the president of Alexander Farms and Bertie Bay Home Owners Association for more than 20 years. He was a member of the Buffalo Yacht Club, Cherry Hill in Fort Erie and the Sarasota Yacht Club. Mrs. Volkert died in 1995. Besides his son,Mr. Volkert is survived by his daughter, Mary Alice Volkert, his brother, Richard Volkert; two granddaughters, a niece and two nephews. Family and friends may call Wednesday, May 30, 2018 from 4-8 PM at the DIETRICH FUNERAL HOME, INC., 2480 Kensington Ave., Amherst. NY 14226 A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. May 31 in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1080 Main St., Buffalo. CHARLES ADAM VOLKERT
July 4, 1928 – May 23, 2018
A Legacy of Love: A Devoted Husband, A Great Father, Loving Grandfather and Dear Friend

FORT LAUDERDALE – Charles Adam Volkert, “Chuck”, age 89, entered Heaven on May 23, 2018 after a lengthy illness in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where his son and his family live.
Charles was born in Buffalo, New York on July 4, 1928 to Charles A. and Gertrude (King) Volkert. He graduated from Bennett High School in 1948 and continued his education at the University of Buffalo where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business in 1952. He married the former Nancy Walter on January 14, 1961 and they had two children, Mary Alice Volkert, born in 1964, and Charles Adam Volkert III (Chad) born in 1972.
Growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, as well as losing his father in 1939, Chuck worked three jobs by the time he was 12 years old to help support his family. After college, he began his professional career opening an insurance firm, but moved on to establish two of his own very successful real estate agencies, C.A Volkert, Inc. and Realty World. He owned over 60 rental homes, sold hundreds of homes a year, and employed 30+ people while running C.A. Volkert, Inc. for more than 35 years. Concurrently, he taught Real Estate courses for many years in Buffalo and Sarasota with Bryant & Straton as well as Burt Rodgers.
Chuck and Nancy bought the franchise rights to John Robert Powers, a Modeling, Finishing, and Career Development School. They opened their first school in downtown Buffalo in 1964 at 310 Delaware in the building they owned. That school became the largest modeling and self-improvement school in the world in the 1970s and through the 1980s. They opened additional locations throughout Buffalo as well as in Rochester, NY, St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada, Clearwater, FL, and Montclair, NJ. During the school’s peak years in the 70s and 80s, they had established eight schools and graduated over 5,000 students a year – providing them self-confidence, beauty and fashion tips, as well as life lessons for personal success. Chuck served as President. After they sold the franchises, they opened the Volkert Career Center in Buffalo and Florida in the late 80s and early 90s. Chuck and Nancy were entrepreneurs at heart, also opening the Salad Gazebo Health Food Restaurant- first of its kind in the health food industry – as well as the Finishing Touch Boutique for cosmetics, and the Volkert Modeling Agency for models in New York City and around the world.
Though a great businessman and community leader, Chuck was a true family man. Growing-up he was close to his mother Gertrude and his brother, Richard Volkert. They spent many summers headed to the Adirondacks together visiting family and friends while being active in church. Chuck and Richard maintained a strong brotherly bond throughout Chuck’s life that only strengthened over time. Chuck loved to spend time with his beautiful wife Nancy, daughter Mary Alice, and son Chad travelling, ice skating, playing tennis, swimming, biking, boating, playing the piano and with photography. He was a member of the Buffalo Yacht Club, Cherry Hill Club in Fort Erie, and the Sarasota Yacht Club where you would find Chuck and his family most Friday nights. Though busy at work, Chuck always found time to spend with Nancy, Chad and Mary Alice and made that his priority in life. He often said the key reason for running his own businesses was so he could spend as much time with his family as possible and have the flexibility to do so.
He lost his beloved Nancy in 1995 after her eight-year battle with breast cancer. Following her death, he became even more passionate about spending time with his son and daughter, as well as his son’s wife Veroushka and their two beautiful daughters, Isabella and Valentina, who Chuck adored. They spent weeks travelling together, visiting each other and having their “famous breakfasts” together. Chuck was even asked by his son Chad to be his best man at his wedding in 2004, if that gives the reader any indication of the bond he shared with his son and family! His son Chad stated, “My father was the greatest dad a kid could ever wish for. He was a truly an amazing man that I looked up to each day, and he lived a life of faith. We were lifelong pals, side-by-side from my earliest memories to his last breath. He was my great friend.”
It is clear to see, that far beyond his success as a business and civic leader, Chuck’s greatest accomplishments were his reputation as devoted husband, great father, proud grandfather, outstanding friend and being active in the church. He was also known as the “sharpest dresser” around with his incredible eye for fashion, a beaming smile and a wonderful sense of humor.
Chuck was a dedicated Rotarian for over 40 years, becoming President of both the Rotary Club in Buffalo as well as the Sarasota after they moved to Sarasota in 1982. He also received the highest honor a Rotarian can receive for
Service Above Self, and the Paul Harris Award three times!
Chuck and Nancy were long-time members of Holy Trinity Church while living in Buffalo and spent much of their free time dedicated to church events and Christian Education. He attended the Lutheran Summer Gathering on Lake George for over 50 years with his family each July. Chuck and Nancy were also members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sarasota, with dad sitting on the church council, and after Nancy’s passing Chuck became an active Member of Church of the Palms, where he was an Elder.
Chuck served as City Councilman in Buffalo from1970 to 1972 and remained active in politics his entire life. He was President of the Sarasota Republican Club for more than 10 years, tripling it in size while he was President. He had the distinct honor of meeting several United States Presidents: Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Carter, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Trump. Chuck and Nancy’s businesses as well as his active involvement and honors from the United States’ Jaycees, and family trips took them on extensive travels, including throughout North America, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Russia, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong and South America. Chuck was also a high-ranking member of the Mason Lodge.
In Buffalo, Chuck and Nancy lived at 151 Huntley Road, where they moved in 1966. They also loved spending summers in Bertie Bay, Fort Erie, with their children where they owned cottages since 1968. Chuck was the President of Alexander Farms & Bertie Bay Home Owners Association for over 20 years. Even after the family moved to Sarasota, living on Bird Key and in Prestancia, they spent summers on the Lake back in Buffalo/Fort Erie until 2006.
He is survived by his son, Charles A. Volkert, III (Chad) and wife Veroushka of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; his daughter, Mary Alice Volkert of Sarasota, Florida; his brother, Richard Volkert (Dottie) of Kensington, New York, sister-in-law Shirley Landgraf (the late Russell) of Charlotte, NC, a niece, Carol Dubin (nee Volkert) and two nephews, Mark and Paul Landgraf.
The family will honor and commemorate Chuck’s life in Buffalo, New York where he will be laid to rest. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Chuck’s visitation and Memorial
Service at the following times:
• Visitation- May 30, 2018 from 4-8pm at Dietrich Funeral Home, 2480 Kensington Ave., Amherst, NY, 14226
• Memorial
Service- Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 10am at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1080 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14209
• Memorials may be made to Vitas, 5420 NW 33rd Ave, Suite 100, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33309 Attn: Team 153, or online at www.communityconnection@vitas. com, designation Broward County, in memory of Charles A. Volkert, Hospice Team 153
An additional Celebration of Life for Chuck will be held in the Fall in Sarasota at a date and time to be determined.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Kraeer-Fairchild Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 4061 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale and The Dietrich Funeral Home 2480 Kensington Avenue, Amherst, NY 14226.