Charles J. Tarpey, 89, of New Bedford died peacefully at home November 25, 2020 after a brief illness surrounded by his family.
He was the husband for 55 years to Judith A. (Armanetti) Tarpey.
Born in New Bedford, son of the late Charles L. and Diana M. (Cournoyer) Tarpey, Charles lived in New Bedford all of his life.
He was formerly employed by Revere Copper & Brass and later as purchasing agent for the City of New Bedford until his retirement. After retirement he worked parttime at Tremblay’s Bus Company as a bus driver for special needs students.
He was a communicant of St. Francis of Assisi Church.
Mr. Tarpey, “Charlie” to friends, “Pep” to his family, was known for the smile on his face and twinkle in his eye. He was a loyal friend and took great pride in taking care of his family. A favorite past-time of Charlie’s was going out to eat, whether it was taking the entire Tarpey crew for dinner,joining his Saturday gang for breakfast, or spending a quiet evening out with his favorite person, his wife - Judy. Outgoing and personal, he enjoyed meeting people. He had a habit of getting to know the owners, waitstaff and bartenders at his favorite restaurants, who often greeted him by name and knew his order. Two of his favorite places were Mezza Luna in Buzzard’s Bay and “Mezza of the south,” Zuckarelos in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In his words they were the “best ever.” Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, where Charlie and Judy spent the last 10 winters, held a special place in Charlie’s heart. There he loved meeting “the guys” on the putting green for a round of golf and reading by the pool. He welcomed his family every February vacation, enjoying dinners with them at all his favorite places. He was an avid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. Pep is remembered by his family as a generous, selfless, and loving man who had a quick wit and an even kinder heart.
Survivors include his wife; his 3 sons, Michael Tarpey and his wife Monique, Marc Tarpey and Thomas Tarpey and his wife Deirdre, all of New Bedford; a sister, Sr. Louise Tarpey, C.S.C. of Manchester, NH; 5 grandchildren, Owen, Will, Tess, Luke and Matthew Tarpey.
The family would like to thank the staff at St. Anne’s Hospital and Beacon Hospice Care for their support and compassionate care.
Due to Covid, his services will be private. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Home forFunerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284-9168 or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.