RIP Charlie Kirkpatrick

Relative strength seems to breed more relative strength.

Charlie Kirkpatrick

“Think you’d want to teach the course with me this fall?”  

I was on the phone with legendary technical analyst Charlie Kirkpatrick, co-author of the book Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians.  Bruce Kamich has told me that Charlie was looking to step back from the technical analysis course he had created for Brandeis University, and I was thrilled that he even considered me to step in and continue the program.

That fall, I would drive out to Waltham once a week to grab dinner with Charlie and then learn as much as I could sitting in the back of the classroom.  He would often ask me to weigh in with comments or observations, but I was mainly there to learn everything I could from a technical analysis legend who I greatly respected.

I was struck by how Charlie was able to make chart analysis seem accessible to second year masters students.  I was encouraged by how he made the topic resonate with students who had very little understanding of the concepts before the course.  I was impressed by how he made the course entertaining and engaging for everyone.  I was blown away by how well he connected directly with his students, providing them with a market mentor at a key moment in their careers.

Charlie won pretty much every major award a technical analyst can receive, from the Charles H. Dow Award for contributions to the field of technical analysis, to the Mike Epstein Award for excellence in technical analysis education.  And whether he was in front of a group of eager students at Brandeis, talking markets with us in the Fidelity Chart Room, or just kicking back at his home in southern Maine, he was doing it with a smile on his face.  

Charlie Kirkpatrick passed away last week after a very successful career in the financial industry.  I will remember Charlie as a generous mentor, a savvy market technician, and an author who inspired me and many others to continue our efforts to promote technical analysis education.

Rest in peace, my friend.

RR#6,
Dave