Charles Joseph Flathers
September 23, 2009
Charles Joseph Flathers, 85, died at home in Peabody on September 23, 2009. A long-time resident of Danvers, he shared fifty-five years of marriage with the late Anna Louise “Nancy” Hurld of Woburn. Born in Lawrence, he was the son of Charles Henry Flathers and Margaret Genevieve Kelley. After graduation from Lawrence High School, Charlie enlisted with the U.S. Army and served in the 100th Infantry Division during World War II. He participated in the liberation of Bitche, France and the Battle of the Bulge. He graduated from Boston College, Class of 1950 and was the comptroller for many years with Bellofram Corporation of Burlington until his retirement in 1985. He was a communicant of St. Richard Parish prior to his recent move to Peabody, where he worshipped at St. John the Baptist Church. He was also a daily communicant at the St. Therese Chapel at the North Shore Mall. Charlie and Nancy were loving parents to six sons and their spouses, Charles Daniel and Roxanne of Peabody; John Neil of North Billerica and Beverly Kimball of Hampstead, NH; Michael Thomas and Denise of Beverly; James Kevin and Carol of Plaistow, NH; Paul Joseph and Gayle of Milton, NH and Leander David of Toms Brook, VA. Charlie was “Papa” to fourteen grandchildren and “Papa-papa” to twelve great-grandchildren. He was the brother of Marguerite McEvoy, Marie Martin, Neil Flathers, and Patricia Taylor. He is also survived by his beloved sister-in-law and Nancy’s twin, Sister Mary Frances Hurld, SND. He was the brother of the late Eleanor Morris His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 10AM in Saint John the Baptist Church, Peabody. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Winchester. Visiting hours are Friday from 2-4PM and 7-9PM in C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers Square. Memorial donations may be made to the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, 801 Dominican Ave, Nashville, Tennessee 37228-1909.
Papa was a great man and we miss him already. There will never be another like him.
Our “good looking uncle” has passed. So glad we got to see him a couple of weeks ago when he visited his sister Marite. Now he will be watching over all of us.
Jack, my deepest sympathy to you and your family on the loss of your father. From reading the obituary, he had a full life and a loving family. He’s at rest now.
Goodbye for now, dad. Thanks for everything. Until we meet again.
To the entire Flathers family I give you my sincere condolences on the loss of your beloved father. My life has been truly blessed for knowing your father for the last 6 years. He was truly a special man on this earth. I have never met a man who loved his wife and family more. You can only take comfort in knowing that he has finally reunited with your beautiful mother and he is finally at peace. He died knowing how very much he was loved by his family……he was so proud of you all. I’d like to share a quote with the hope that it will give you some peace: “Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I and you are you. Whoever we were to each other we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me the easy way you always did. Put no difference into your tone, wear no forced air or solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be forever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without the ghost of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was, absolutely unbroken continuity. What is death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.” God Bless, Janice
The Rose of Tralee never sounds so sweet as when angels sing it. Uncle Charles is with the angels and signing the loudest and clearest of all. Thanks for this wonderful family memory. We’ll miss you!
Death, where is thy sting? Grave, where is thy victory? As St. Paul declared almost 2,000 yrs ago, in Christ, death has no power over us. Good job Dad! You fought the good fight. You have kept the faith. Say hi to Mom will ya? And hey, keep the light on for us. I’ll miss you Dad! Love, Andy