Charles Thomas Avery

Scarborough, ME – Charles T. Avery, 86, of Lisbon Falls, ME passed away on Friday, December 6, 2024, surrounded by his loving Avery family at the Maine Veterans’ Home. He was the beloved husband and soulmate of Rita L. (Pare) Avery.

Chuck was born in East St. Louis, IL on June 28, 1938, a son of the late Truman & Charline (Pearson) Avery. He grew up in East St. Louis attending local area schools before enlisting in the United States Navy. He would go on to spend the next 20 years serving his country from the Brunswick Naval Air Base, and he served as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Instructor and retired as a Flight Engineer in the rank of Chief Petty Officer.

He went on to earn his associate’s degree in Machine Tool Technology from Central Maine Vocational Technical Institute. Chuck was employed at Phillips Elmet Lighting Corporation in Lewiston, ME where he worked as a Tool & Die Machinist, and later supervised the tool room and other management roles. After 20 years, Chuck retired from this second career at age of 58.

Chuck took advantage of his early retirement by spending summers camping at a seasonal location in Chain of Ponds, ME and later seasoned at the ocean in Phippsburg, ME. Chuck also enjoyed being a snowbird to Florida with Rita and later bought a second home in Orange City, FL that they relished for several years. There were many hobbies that Chuck enjoyed including camping, four wheeling, hunting, saltwater and freshwater fishing, boating, waterskiing, and vegetable gardening. But most of all, he loved spending time gathering with his family and his Navy comrades for cookouts, holidays and special celebrations.

Chuck was an Assistant Manager at the Chiefs Club at the Navy base, and he was a member of the Catholic Slovak Association serving as Treasurer, active with the American Legion and became a Mason with the Masonic Lodge in Brunswick and later in Lisbon.

Besides his wife, he is survived by two children Danny J. Avery and his wife Kristine of Union, ME and Debora A. Bergeron and her husband Steven of Freeport, ME. He also leaves behind five grandchildren Amanda, Candice, Chelsea, Nicole and Shaun and fourteen great grandchildren Julia, Olivia, Dominic, Makenzie, Elliana, Owen, Delilah, Wyatt, Lincoln, Margeaux, Koen, Stellamarie, Isla-Raine and Evalyn, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was the Father of the late Charles T. “Buddy” Avery Jr. and the brother of the late Anna Pearson.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Friday, December 13, 2024 from 3 – 6 pm at Crosman Funeral Home, 40 Main St., Lisbon Falls, ME. A Celebration of Life Service with military honors will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 10 am at Church of the Nazarene, 184 Main Street, Lisbon Falls, ME.

In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough, ME through an online donation at mainevets.org or by mailing it to MVH, 290 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074.