Charlie, a native son of Biddeford, was born into a large extended Franco-American family on May 27, 1946. He was the oldest of Gerard Belisle's seven children and was raised by two devoted mothers, Fernande (Carrier) Belisle and Janet (Eaton) Belisle. The Belisles were a tight-knit working-class family with many loving aunts who doted on Charlie. Charlie often accompanied his father and grandfather on local hunting, fishing, clam-digging, and blueberry-picking excursions. He was surrounded by WWII veterans (including his father, Gerard), who imparted the values of hard work and collaboration. Charlie's leadership skills were evident from a young age. He was the captain of many sports teams and eventually student council president his senior year at St. Louis High School, where he graduated in 1963.
Charlie subsequently attended the University of Maine at Orono. While there, he played football all four years and competed in the Tangerine Bowl with his team in 1965. Charlie formed lifelong friendships with those teammates. Charlie's primary focus at UMaine was academics, however, and he maintained his place on the dean's list. In a pre-med organic chemistry class in 1965, Charlie met Mary Emery. They shared a slide rule and soon dated, bonding over hot chocolates at the campus coffee shop. They both graduated in 1967.
Mary changed the course of Charlie's life. She and Charlie were married at Holy Cross Church in South Portland on August 31, 1968. They moved together for medical school and residency while welcoming a growing family. In 1977, they settled in Yarmouth, where they brought up ten children. They were constantly expanding the house on Tannery Lane, making room for their offspring, pets, and joyful chaos. When he was not working, Charlie's pastimes centered on faith and spending time with his family. Charlie was a longtime communicant of Sacred Heart Parish in Yarmouth, where he helped with collections, and he delighted in chatting with fellow parishioners during post-mass coffee hours. Charlie attended every possible school sporting event in Southern Maine, cheering on his children and grandchildren. Charlie turned many family events into treasured grandkid traditions, including post-Thanksgiving Christmas tree cutting excursions, and weekend waffle breakfasts at Blueberry Cove. In 2023, Mary and Charlie welcomed their 25th grandchild.
Charlie was known to many as a devoted family physician. In 1959, the tragic and sudden death of his first mother, Fernande, inspired Charlie to choose a career in medicine. He volunteered at Biddeford's Webber Hospital while in high school. After college, Charlie attended the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine in Burlington. Following his graduation in 1971, he completed an internship at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia and a residency in Family Medicine at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. He was board-certified in Family Medicine in 1974. He would go on to become a faculty member of the residency program. It was there that he discovered his love of educating future clinicians. In 1977, Charlie brought his young family back to Maine and joined the private practice of a UVM classmate in Yarmouth. He would eventually transition to working full-time as the Family Medicine Residency Program Associate Director at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland. In that role, he trained over 200 Family Medicine residents, as well as countless medical students and other clinical learners. Colleagues considered him the "heart and soul" of the program and a proud mentor to many. He retired from MMC after 40 years. MMC named the classroom at the India Street clinic in his honor, and each year awards a scholarship in his name to Biddeford students interested in medicine. Charlie's professional dedication inspired five of his children and one of his grandchildren (so far) to become doctors. His belief in the importance of education has influenced his other children and grandchildren to follow in his footsteps in equally beneficial ways.
Charlie's commitment to favorably impacting lives of those around him also extended to serving his country. Charlie was commissioned as a U.S. Navy Medical Corps officer while at UVM. He cared for service members and their families in Portsmouth, Virginia, and Jacksonville, Florida. In 1977, Charlie left the Navy after the birth of his fifth child. Following the birth of his tenth child in 1987, he was re-commissioned with the Maine Air National Guard. He served in South Portland and later with the 101st Medical Group in Bangor. Charlie was activated and served stateside during Desert Storm in 1991, and mobilized to assist with humanitarian relief in Honduras in 1998. After his military retirement, he supported Guard recruiting efforts at Maine Medical Association meetings. Charlie witnessed the continuation of the family military legacy as he administered the oath of office to his five children who became military officers and attended one son's U.S. Marine Corps Parris Island graduation. In one of his final public appearances, Charlie participated in awarding a U.S. Air Force Academy appointment to his grandson.
Charlie loved people, and lived his life with appreciation and optimism. He enjoyed Maine's many offerings. He regularly spent time hunting (or at least watching) deer at "the farm" in Etna with his father, brothers, and sons. After his father suffered a non-fatal heart attack in 1976, Charlie resolved to visit the farm with his dad each fall. He continued this vital bonding experience until his father's death in 1996. Soon after returning to Maine in 1977, Charlie and his extended family inaugurated an annual gathering at the Funtown amusement park in Saco. This allowed all involved to delight in the rides, eat Amato's Italians and locally baked whoopie pies, share family stories, and laugh with one another. The yearly Funtown festivities have spanned four decades, with numbers reaching up to 80 people. This tradition, as well as Thanksgiving celebrations at Atlantic Hall in Cape Porpoise and other reunion activities, continue to this day.
Charlie is survived by Mary, his loving wife of 55 years. His beautiful soul lives on in his ten children and 25 grandchildren: Lisa (husband Kevin Thomas) of Yarmouth and children Campbell (wife Dani), Abigail (fiancé Andrew), Sophie (husband Ryan), Sean, Jack and Andrew; Amy (husband Michael Ting) of Yarmouth, and children Colby, Eleanor, Alexis, and Benjamin; Adelle (husband Michael Vogel) of Yarmouth, and children Tyler and Stephanie; Emily Libby (husband George) of New Gloucester, and children Elijah, Stella, and Finnegan; Jeffrey (wife Emily) of Monument, Colorado, and children Luke, Patrick, and Charlotte; Matthew (wife Myriam Abdennadher) of Brookline, Massachusetts, and children Joseph and Noelle; Sarah (husband William Singer) of Yarmouth, and son Stuart; John (wife Melissa) of Yarmouth, and sons Mark, Philip, and Leo; Brian (wife Sarah) of Newtown, Pennsylvania, and daughter Nora; and Peter (wife Jenna) of Winchester, Massachusetts, and sons James, Tucker, and Charles. Charlie is also survived by his mother, Janet Belisle of Cape Porpoise; brother John (wife Suzanne) of Suffern, New York, and children Alice Eaton and Aaron; sister Sandra Pelletier (husband Gregory) of Amherst, New Hampshire, and sons Joshua and Nicholas; brother James (wife Pamela) of Holland, Massachusetts, and sons Evan and Ethan; sister Ann Hamilton (husband David) of Madison, New Hampshire, and daughter Kimberly; brother Dana (wife Bonnie Vance) of Cumberland, and children Brooks, Gabe, and Mariah; brother Eric (wife Maryellen) of Charlestown, Massachusetts, and children Jack, Mason, and Kate; brother-in-law John Emery (wife Josephine) of Matthews, North Carolina; sister-in-law Patricia Emery of Westbrook; and many cherished cousins, nieces, nephews and others who may or may not be related by blood, but undoubtedly are connected to Charlie in spirit.
Charlie’s family is grateful for the care he received from the medical team at MaineHealth, including Dr. Jessica Bian and Dr. Anand Rughani, which gave Charlie additional time to spend with those he loved.
Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours at Lindquist Funeral Home in Yarmouth on July 12 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. On July 13, there will be a Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart Church in Yarmouth at 11:00 am, Burial with full military honors at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth at 12:30 pm, and a reception at the Community Music Center at 317 Main Street in Yarmouth, from 1:00 to 3:30 pm.
Those who wish to celebrate Charlie at any of the above events are invited to wear bright colors and blossoms, honoring his legacy with the loving luminosity and positivity he personified throughout his life.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Dr. Charles M. Belisle Scholarship Fund at Maine Medical Center (https://fundraising.mmc.org/belislefund).
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