Private Cremation

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Charles W. Truenski, Jr., of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, passed away on January 10, 2020 after a long illness.

Charles, known as either Buddy, or Charlie to family and friends, was born on May 13, 1952 in Paterson, NJ. He was the son of Charles Truenski Sr. and Margaret (Peg) Tuohey Hollerback, and stepfather Jack Hollerback, all now deceased. He is survived by his brother, Robert, in North Port, Florida, a stepbrother and stepsister, Anthony and Debra, and many cousins.

Charles graduated from East Side High School in Paterson before attending and graduating from the University of Colorado in Boulder. While in college, he was an award-winning poet.

After college, Charles moved back to the New York area, living in several places in New Jersey, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, before moving to Bay Ridge in 2011.

In the late '70s and early '80s, he wrote and directed four full-length independent films, including Post Nuclear Lust and Delirium. They were largely in the style of one of his favorite directors, John Waters, with a mix of camp, dark comedy, and horror.

Later he sang in his own nightclub act. In the early '90s, he created a drag persona, Sheila Gillerman, a comic takeoff on teen sensations of the time, such as Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. Charles wrote all of Sheila's songs and sang them himself in a breathy, high-pitched voice.

Later in the '90s, he contributed songs for his friend Kevin Scott Hall's nightclub acts and recordings. Most acclaimed was his jazz piece, "Heartbreaker City," for Hall's first album in 1998.

In the early 2000s, he created his alter ego, DJ Buddy Beaverhausen, and made dance mix CDs that he sold to local music stores. In recent years, using that moniker, he became a popular blogger, commenting and reviewing the pop culture scene, and interviewed many well-known dance artists and New York cabaret performers.

While doing all this, he worked at many law firms and financial houses as a proofreader. He retired from Debevoise and Plimpton, where he worked for eighteen years, in 2015.

Charles co-wrote the song "Love Has Many Faces," with his friend Kevin Scott Hall. Hall's recording of the song, and an accompanying video, will be released on February 21st.

Charles entertained at many parties, loved a lively bar, and attended hundreds of live shows over the years. For a time, he worked at the legendary Bottom Line. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of films and popular music. He had thousands of vintage books, CDs, and posters in his personal collection.

Charlie, "Buddy", will be remembered by friends and family for many years to come.

If you would like to make a donation in his name, please donate to the American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org/donate.