Charles F. Watters Jr. of Litchfield, N.H., formerly of Greenfield, Mass., passed away peacefully on Jan. 29, 2015.
Born on Staten Island, N.Y., to Charles F. and Eva (Lambert) Watters on Oct. 14, 1929, Charlie graduated from Curtis High School and, in 1951, from Columbia University.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955, entering Officer Candidate School in 1951, then serving as a communications officer, first in the Pacific, then aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Randolph (CVA-15) in the Mediterranean. He was honorably discharged in 1955 holding the rank of Lieutenant.
While at Columbia, Charlie met Frances Woodward of Hatfield, Mass., whom he married in 1953. They settled in Greenfield, where they spent the next forty years of their lives and raised four sons.
Charlie purchased the Lyman Insurance Agency in 1955, renaming it the Watters Insurance Agency and subsequently acquiring several smaller agencies in the Greenfield area. In 1960, he entered into a partnership with three other agents, forming Packard, Sawyer, Watters & Bell. Charlie later became sole proprietor of that agency, and in 1984, he partnered with John Gilmore to form Gilmore & Watters Insurance Agency. He was a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter and a Licensed Insurance Advisor.
Charlie retired from the insurance business in 1991. In retirement, he and Frances lived in Sanibel, Fla., and Emerald Isle, N.C. They also maintained a residence in Waterville Valley, N.H., where for a time they operated Toad Hall toy store and The Bookmonger bookstore.
In 2000, Frances and Charlie moved to the Manchester, N.H., area, eventually settling in Litchfield. Frances passed away in 2012, just shy of their 60th anniversary.
Charlie was active in the Greenfield community throughout his life there. He was Greenfield’s elected trustee of the Smith Charities for many years. He served on the board of investors and as a trustee of Heritage Bank. He was a director of the Franklin County Public Hospital, president of the Franklin County Insurance Agents Association, board member of the MSPCA and treasurer of the Franklin County Girl Scouts. He was a member and past president of the Greenfield Club, and a member of the Greenfield Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge and Jaycees.
In addition to his wife, Charlie was predeceased by a sister, Ann Baumann, of Staten Island. He is survived by his four sons: John J. and his wife, Alison Gates, of Appleton, Wis.; Robert J., of Nashua, N.H.; Charles W. and his wife, Susan Parda-Watters, currently of Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan; and Andrew J., of Merrimack, N.H. In addition, he leaves grandchildren Samuel of Washington, D.C.; Robert Jr. of Groton, Mass.; Alexandra of Delray Beach, Fla.; and Morgan, Zachary and Auzten, all of Dayton, Ohio. He also leaves many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Litchfield, N.H. Private burial will be at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, N.H.
Please omit flowers. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142.
Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, Manchester, N.H. assisted the family with arrangements.