Raymond’s Obituary Raymond Charles Adams, 90 Lunenburg-Raymond Charles (“Charlie”) Adams passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on March 14, 2019, at 90 years of age, a couple months shy of his 91st birthday. He was the beloved husband of Beatrice Adams, originally of Berchtesgaden, Germany. A happy, close and devoted couple, Charlie and Beatrice celebrated their Blue Sapphire anniversary in 2018, surrounded by their family and closest friends.
Charlie also leaves a daughter, Sharlene Adams and her husband, Richard Maloney, of Waltham, MA and a daughter Andrea Adams and her husband, Justin O’Connor, of Woburn, MA. He was pre-deceased by his older brother, George, who passed away in 1997. Charlie also leaves a nephew, Barry, and his wife Joanne, of Fitchburg, MA, and other relatives here in Massachusetts, and in Germany (by marriage), the U.K. and Canada.
Charlie lived in Lunenburg, MA, for over 65 years in the one and only house he purchased with his wife not long after their marriage. Charlie was born in May 1928 into the close-knit Waites Corner neighborhood of Fitchburg, MA, where he attended school and went to church (Methodist), surrounded by many neighborhood children his age, many of whom had a father or mother who also worked in the paper mills. Charlie’s parents, Francis (“Frank”) and Emily Adams, born in England and Wales, emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900’s looking for a better life and escape from the poverty and dangers of the coal mining villages of the U.K.
They felt that working in the Crocker-Burbank paper mills gave Frank a safer occupation than mining coal and living in the United States would offer their children educational and employment opportunities far beyond those available to people of their “class” in the “home country”. It turned out that they were correct on all counts. During his childhood in Waites Corner, Charlie was an active boy who loved the outdoors and enjoyed playing scrub baseball and kick-the-can in the neighborhood playground, participating in track and field activities in school, swimming, fishing, hunting woodchucks in the farmers’ fields, and winter ice skating on the Round Pond and the Rezzie, and sledding down Roosevelt Street.
He vividly recalled the Hurricane of 1938, and how it leveled a lovely grove of mature white pine trees he used to marvel at as a boy, and how the front yard of his parents’ rented home was covered by a thick layer of acorns blown down by the fierce winds. Charlie fondly recalled major events such as Watermelon Day, the Fourth of July (and playing with fire crackers), and the annual Christmas pageant and pot-luck supper at his church. He recalled the start of WWII, victory gardens, scrap metal drives and food ration stamps.
Charlie’s childhood prized possession was a red Rollfast bicycle which he received for his birthday. On his bike, he traveled all over Waites Corner, to all sections of Fitchburg and beyond, even venturing as far as the automobile museum in Princeton, MA, and up and down Mt. Wachusett.
To earn pocket money, Charlie got an after-school job at Dennen’s Market, one of the small groceries stores which dotted Waites Corner at the time. He loved going to the movies for a newsreel, three cartoons and a feature film, and would treat himself to a “ham-and-pickle” sandwich and a milk shake after the show. His childhood up-bringing and experiences in Waites Corner shaped the hard-working, gentle, family-oriented man he would become.
After graduating from Fitchburg High School in 1946, Charlie was eventually drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War, became an M.P., and was sent to serve in Berchtesgaden, Germany, where he met his bride-to-be. Being an M.P., Charlie was required to be in uniform even while off duty. Naturally, he cut a dashing and handsome figure, and made a very favorable impression not only on his future wife, Beatrice, but also on her parents (and, most importantly, on her mother).
While dating Beatrice, Charlie was promoted to Sergeant. With his tour of duty shortly coming to an end, Charlie and Beatrice were married in Berchtesgaden in August 1953. Sharlene and Andrea came along in 1964 and 1967, respectively.
Upon returning to the States late in 1953, Charlie began a career with the Bell Systems telephone company, where he started in an entry-level position as a journeyman’s helper. He applied himself, studied, passed his exams, moved up the ladder, and eventually became a member of the company’s Special Services branch. He was one of the few people who could trouble-shoot the map-making machine at Fort Devens (or so we were told).
In time, Charlie took an early retirement buyout from the Bell Companies, then known as NYNEX, after putting in a solid and productive 33 years. Never one to take it easy, Charlie would go on to work an additional 17 years for a few different companies including North End Subaru/Mazda of Lunenburg, MA. Finally, around 2003, Charlie formally retired and turned all his focus on keeping the homestead at 39 Pleasant Street in perfect ship shape.
Charlie was as an active, involved and proud father, spending time with his daughters to go on a great many nature walks, creating snow forts, building a tree house, going on bike rides, swimming in Lake Whalom, sledding, and sitting down to read stories and to draw, paint and color with his two girls. He supported both daughters through college, and both women would go on to earn bachelor’s degrees and then on to graduate school, with Andrea achieving an MPA in Public Administration from UMASS, Amherst, and Sharlene a Ph.D. in Immunology from Tufts University. While only a high school graduate himself, he understood the great value of education for his children and always encouraged them to study, and to work for what they wanted.
Never once did he say to his daughters that they could not become a such-and-such because they were female. During summer vacations, Charlie would pile everyone into the big, green Chevy station wagon or, later, into to the Dodge van, and would set out on the traditional summertime Big Family Road Trip. He cheerfully drove thousands of miles to show his children many interesting and spectacular places in each one of the Eastern Seaboard states from Maine to Florida, and in New York, Pennsylvania, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
Several times, summer vacation took the entire family to Germany to spend time with Beatrice’s relatives, who adored their easy-going brother-in-law and uncle from “America”. Later, as empty nesters, Charlie and Beatrice traveled extensively within the U.S., and to several European countries, the Caribbean, and Morocco. Holidays were always cherished and special times for the Adams family, with Christmas time being distinct with its combination of both American and German traditions.
Charlie relished all the holiday festivities, feasts and special delicacies, especially the large array of German Christmas cookies baked by Beatrice. Up until just recently, Charlie was healthy and active, continuing to do all the maintenance chores around the house, driving, mowing the lawn, and taking care of snow removal. He relished his contributions and his independence.
It was only in recent weeks that his health took a turn for the worse, and he left us on March 14, 2019. Charlie will be remembered as a member of the Greatest Generation and as a man who lived a very rich and fulfilling life. He served his country, married a wonderful woman, proudly raised two well-educated and independent daughters, worked hard all his life, and took pride in his home and in being the meticulous groundskeeper to Bea’s landscaping.
Charlie had a boyish sense of humor, loved being unexpectedly goofy for a man his age, loved cracking jokes, loved puns and witty sayings, and had a great deal of fun with his family. He enjoyed music and relished the classic sounds of the Big Band era, pipe organ music, and Pink Floyd. He enjoyed watching the birds come and go from his numerous bird feeders.
He took delight in his home weather station. He was thrilled with his brand-new, bright yellow riding lawn mower. He kept his garage and his basement work bench extremely neat and organized (much to the chagrin of his sons-in-law), and his cars spotlessly clean and in perfect working order.
Charlie also really liked participating in household chores, especially washing dishes and vacuuming, which his wife appreciated to no end. Charlie will be sorely missed by all who knew him, especially by his cherished and devoted wife of 65 years, Beatrice, and by his two beloved and devoted daughters. We miss you, Charlie.
We will miss you, Dad. We will always love you, and we will never forget you. Rest in Peace.
It was Charlie’s wish to be cremated; and the family will hold a memorial service at a later date. The Lunenburg Chapel of the Sawyer-Miller-Masciarelli Funeral Homes, 763 Mass Ave, Lunenburg is honored to be assisting the family. For more information please visit www.
masciarellifamilyfuneralhomes.net. John F. Masciarelli, Walter C. Taylor and James M. Hebert, funeral directors.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
