Sergeant Major Charles W. Hildreth, Sr. (US Army, Retired) 92
LACONIA --- SGM Charles W. Hildreth, Sr. (R) passed into his next life on January 18, 2021, under the care of the compassionate and loving staff at St. Francis Home in Laconia.
Charlie was born January 10, 1929, the son of Charles L. and Flora (Bemis) Hildreth in Laconia. He was raised in Lakeport, one of four children, and was proud of his Lakeport heritage.
He got his first job at 14 working with his good friend, John Rudzinski, at his family’s ice company, cutting ice from our local lakes in winter and delivering that ice to fill locals’ iceboxes.
Their deliveries included houses throughout the region, including the Dupont home on Court Street in Laconia, where he first met Louise.
Attending Laconia High School, Charlie again noticed Louise Dupont in English class. After a two-year courtship, they were married on September 16, 1950, and remained in love throughout their 66 years of marriage. Charlie converted to Catholicism prior to his marriage to Louise and, from that point, was a life-long communicant of Sacred Heart Church and St. Joseph’s Church, now Saint Andre Bessette Parish and his faith was an important part of his life.
At 18, he enlisted in the New Hampshire Army National Guard serving in Laconia’s Coast Artillery which later was reorganized into Battery C, 3d Battalion, 197th Field Artillery. He served as the First Sergeant until he transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve in 1968.
In his civilian endeavors, after driving trucks for local companies, Charlie took a position with the Laconia Police Department before moving to the Laconia Fire Department. There he rose to the rank of Lieutenant, mentoring many young Firefighters along the way.
He is warmly remembered by many former students, as the handsome and kind police officer at Busy Corner, as they made their way to school.
Charlie often worked doubles in the Fire Department, especially in the summer, so that he could take their brood of seven on many camping adventures. He was Cubmaster for Pack 68 and actively supported the Boy Scouts, as well. He quietly encouraged his children in all their endeavors.
In 1972, Sergeant Hildreth reenlisted in the Army National Guard with Battery B, 2d Battalion, 197th Field Artillery in Plymouth, NH, as a unit recruiter during the early days of the All-Volunteer Army. In 1976, he was reassigned to State Headquarters in Concord, where he served as liaison with the Regular Army Recruiting Main Station and later as the State Retention Noncommissioned Officer at the Guard’s State Headquarters.
In 1981, he was selected to serve as the Chief Instructor at the Reserve Components Department of the Army’s Recruiting and Retention School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN. With the youngest daughter, Susan, in tow, they made a new life and found many new friends in Indiana.
In 1984, he was reassigned to Fort Harrison’s Reserve Components Liaison Office as the first Army National Guard Training Liaison NCO and promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major, the highest rank for enlisted Soldiers.
In 1989, with almost 34 years of service in the New Hampshire Army National Guard, Sergeant Major Hildreth retired. Major General Stephen R. Woods, Jr., Commanding General of the U.S. Army Soldier Support Center and Fort Benjamin Harrison flew to the State Headquarters in Concord to present Sergeant Major Hildreth the Legion of Merit, the highest award bestowed on enlisted Soldiers during peacetime. During that ceremony, General Woods commended the Sergeant Major for his exemplary skills and performance in all of his positions throughout his career and especially noted his additional duties as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the fort’s ceremonial Salute Battery.
After Charlie's retirement in 1989, he and Louise enjoyed decades of winters in Florida and summers in New Hampshire, lots of travel visiting family and friends, and seeing the country. In all, they had 25 years of a happy, healthy retirement.
When Louise took ill and was moved to the St. Francis home, Charlie rented an apartment upstairs in the Bishop Bradley Senior Living Community Apartments in the Saint Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center to be close to her. After she passed in 2017, he decided to move permanently to Bishop Bradley.
There, he met Angeline (Angel) LaRose, a girl he remembered from when he was a freshman in High School. She and Louise were friends and had worked on many projects at church over the years. Charlie and Angel had apartments on the same floor. They became close and were married late that year, honeymooning at the Trapp Family Lodge. They enjoyed three happy years together and were a great comfort to each other. Angel passed away just five days before Charlie, both dying of COVID-19.
In addition to Louise and Angeline, he was predeceased by his parents, his sister, Gwen Pelchat, and his brother Roland (Bud) Hildreth.
Charlie is survived by a brother, Frank Hildreth, and his wife, Norma of Zephyr Hills, FL, and by his seven children: Peter C. Hildreth and his wife, Holly of De Soto, KS, Nancy L. Moore of Colorado Springs, CO, Jon A. Hildreth and his wife, Tracy, of Laconia, Diane M. Howe and her husband, Brian, of Boothbay Harbor, ME, James P. Hildreth and his wife, Susan of Gilford, Charles W. Hildreth, Jr. and his wife, Donna, also of Gilford, and Susan L. Hildreth-Bruno and her husband, Daniel, of Avon, CO. Charlie and Louise were also blessed with 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no calling hours.
A Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2021, at 10:00 am at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Laconia.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Recreation Fund at St Francis Nursing Home, 406 Court St, Laconia, NH 03246 in memory of CharlieHildreth.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.