Obituary: Charles R. Marshall

Charles R. Marshall

Charles Robert (“Charlie”) Marshall (U.S.A.F., Major, retired), a Greenwich resident since 1994, passed away Jan. 14 of heart failure while vacationing in Tampa, FL with his wife, Marge, and daughter, Cynthia, by his side.

Charlie was born in Lynn, Mass., on July 23, 1930. He attended schools in Massachusetts and Exeter, NH, where he developed his lifelong love for the Red Sox before his father’s transfer took him to Birmingham, Michigan. At Birmingham’s Baldwin High School, Charlie joined the high school chorus and springboard diving team. There he met his future spouse, Marge.

Charlie graduated in 1953 from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Construction Engineering and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He served as a navigator aboard the air-refueler KC-135 stratotanker, which became his professional home for the next 21 years, and achieved the level of instructor.

He was assigned to units of the Strategic Air Command that provided mid-air refueling to B-52’s and fighter jets during their combat, reconnaissance, and training sorties. Charlie was unwavering in his love for and defense of his country, and served in various commands from the Korean War, through the Berlin Wall and Cuban Missile Crises, until the end of the Vietnam War. In recognition of his service, Charlie received, among other commendations, Air Medals on two occasions for “a single act of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight,” the Air Force Outstanding Unit award four times, the Presidential Unit citation twice, and an Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship medal. He was gratified to join other Greenwich veterans on the Honor Flight to Washington, DC in 2018 in recognition of their military service.

Charlie indulged his life-long love of aquatics and kids by teaching swimming and by coaching competitive swimming and diving teams around the globe, from pools in Guam, Okinawa, and Puerto Rico to a variety of private and public pools in Fairfield County, including the Darien YWCA and the Stamford Italian Center. He sang baritone with the Melody Men at local hospitals and nursing homes, volunteered at Greenwich Hospital, and enjoyed the company of his friends at the Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich and the 19th hole of several local golf courses.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Marge, of Riverside, his son, David, and daughter-in-law Kayalyn Marafioti, who are attorneys in New York City, daughter Cynthia, an occupational therapist in Tampa FL, a grandchild, Chip Knoble, and many loving in-laws, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Charles, Jr., who was the physician in charge of rehabilitation medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Norwalk Rehabilitation Services for many years.

A memorial service for Charlie will be held at the time of his interment at Arlington National Cemetery.

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