Charles Brown

BROWN Charles (Charl) A. Nov 20, 1936 - Feb 13, 2020 Passed peacefully away after a short illness. Celebrating a life well-lived are wife Barbara (nee Button); sons: Travor (Andrea), and Robin (Michelle); grandchildren: Josh, Davin, Alex, Maddi, Keely, and Cameron; sister Pearl (Bill Allen); brother-in-law Eric (Judy) Button; sister-in-law Rita (Reg, deceased) Button, as well as a large circle of relatives and friends. Charl was predeceased by his parents, John and Dora, and his brother, Andrew. Born and raised in Joe Batt’s Arm, Fogo Island, Charl grew up in “the bottom”. He regularly shared stories of the mischievous adventures of his youth. In his teens, he left home to initially teach and a few years later ended up working at the “old” general hospital. It seems that by this time his mother had determined, given his “advancing” age, that he was destined to be a lifelong bachelor. But it was there he would meet nursing student, Barbara Button. At the “mature” age of almost 30, he and Barbara wed. The young couple had a sense of adventure early on. They first worked with Wabash Mines (where son Travor was born). As Charl decided to pursue an accounting education, they then moved to St John’s and then on to Toronto (where they welcomed son Robin). With Barbara working shifts as a registered nurse, Charl was very active in raising the young boys. While he mastered bath time, bedtime, diaper changing, and basic cooking skills, he often joked that he never managed to master gravy for Sunday dinner! The couple then returned to St. John’s, buying a house on Vancouver Street, where they lived for over 40 years. At this stage of their marriage, Charl could regularly been seen driving the boys to the rink or the pool, or volunteering with their activities. As the boys moved out and he and Barbara retired, the sense of wanderlust returned. Early in their retirement, they drove across Canada, regularly drove to winter in Florida, cruised Europe and visited Hawaii. Retirement also marked the arrival of the six grandchildren. The bond he shared with each was strong. Over the years his time with them involved Friday play-days at the park (followed by the essential McDonald’s trip), watching their sports event, and even driving them to university (with a coffee on the way of course). Later in life, Barbara’s health declined due to dementia. A dedicated husband, Charl cared for Barbara until she broke her hip and entered long term care. He visited her daily until his illness a few weeks ago. With Barbara in care, Charl’s sense of travel adventure retuned. His 80’s were marked by annual birthday trips to see his beloved Maple Leafs with family and his solo spring trips to Jamaica. As we celebrate Charl’s life, we thank the extended teams of the palliative care unit, 4 North A, haematology, oncology, as well as Dr. L. Adams for their care and compassion. Visitation will take place at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Road from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, February 16th. Funeral service will be held on Monday, February 17th, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. from St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Logy Bay Road. Inurnment to follow at the Anglican Cemetery Columbarium, Kenmount Road. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any charity of one’s choice. To send a message of condolence, please visit www.carnells.com