- Date Of Birth: September 17, 1952
- Date Of Death: September 12, 2021
- State: Maine
Bath- Charles L. Houghton, of Congress Ave. died Sunday, September 12, 2021, at his residence.
For many years, before social media overwhelmed us, Charlie’s home or place of employment was where one went to catch up with what was going on in town. The apartments he shared with Billa and Hank on both Tower Circle and Lark Street hosted hundreds of “coffee talks” on weekend mornings. A typical coffee talk session would last a few hours, with multiple people dropping by for a cup of joe and to offer an opinion, provoke a debate, or stir up a friendly wager on an upcoming game. Typically, Charlie would be puttering in the kitchen while his guests bragged about last nights exploits, cried about work, talked about the good old days, or simply sat and listened to “The Band”, Chuck’s favorite music.
Most people called him Charlie, some called him Chuck, Uncle Charlie, and Chas, many referred to him as Tuna. He was our grumpy bartender, often it was an act, other times, not so much. His close friends could recognize the real thing from the fake. Not knowing which one you would get on any given day was part of the attraction of going to see him. Everywhere Charlie worked, he drew “his people”. Over the years the faces of the crowd changed a bit, but his crew remained consistent and loyal.
Charlie Houghton made an impact. He was charitable to a fault, literally giving more to others than he kept for himself. For 20 years, he spearheaded fundraising for the Rouillard Scholarship which has helped many deserving Morse graduates with their college expenses. Charlie did not limit his good deeds to the big events, he was “everyday charitable”, always looking for an opportunity to raise a few bucks or provide some incredible home cooking to those in need.
Charlie Houghton is the main character in many people’s favorite lifetime memories. He left us with an incredibly unique and fantastic legacy. Charlie will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.
