Charles Warren Coulter

Charles Warren Coulter, Age 92

Charles (Charlie) Warren Coulter, most recently of Laconia, NH, passed away comfortably and peacefully on September 10 at The Taylor Community in Laconia, holding hands with his three children and listening to Johnny Cash.

Charlie was born on August 30, 1932, to the late Winfred E. and Edna (Lewis) Coulter and grew up in Brockton, MA.  Charlie attended Brockton High School, graduating in 1950. Before joining the Navy in 1952, Charlie earned certifications as an x-ray technician and a mortician.  He served from 1952-1956 as a Hospital Corpsman assigned to the hospital ship USS Haven and was honorably discharged with the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class.  

Following his service to our country, Charlie began his undergraduate studies at Boston University, benefiting from the G.I. Bill and graduating in 1960 with a degree in biology.  He embarked immediately upon a 35-year career in education, first as a high school biology teacher in Bourne, MA and Wareham, MA before returning to Brockton High School. At BHS, Charlie taught biology before becoming a guidance counselor for the latter part of his career.  Along the way, Charlie attended Bridgewater State College in the evenings to earn his master’s degree in education.  A committed advocate for public education, Charlie served in various leadership roles in the Brockton Education Association and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.  Charlie was equally dedicated to his students, guiding them as they found their paths through high school and to various postsecondary experiences aligned with their interests and talents. 

As a young man, Charlie was an active member of DeMolay.  While attending BU, Charlie met Barbara Reed, the sister of a fellow DeMolay member, and their courtship began as they commuted together to school in Boston. They were married in 1962.  Charlie and Barbara settled first in Brockton and then in Easton, MA to raise their family. 

Charlie harbored a lifelong interest in antiques.  He was an avid collector and dealer with a wide range of interests and areas of expertise.  He enjoyed spending weekends and vacations buying and selling at antique shows and auctions from Maine to Florida and as far west as Chicago and Arizona.  Upon his retirement, Charlie and Barbara focused on the antique business full time, traveling to shows and eventually embracing the opportunity of online auctions when going too far afield was no longer an option.

In 2007, Charlie and Barbara moved to Back Bay of Taylor Community in Wolfeboro, NH to be closer to family. After Barbara’s passing in 2013, Charlie embraced the community at Taylor in Laconia, serving on the Board of Advocates and finding opportunities to support veterans in the community.  He was always ready to lend a hand, share a story or a cold pitcher of lemonade - just about anything to bring a little sunshine to residents and staff alike.  The family extends their deep gratitude to everyone at Taylor Community for embracing and engaging Charlie with love, patience and care, especially the staff and residents of Ledgeview in these recent years.

Charlie loved his family.  He loved his friends from Brockton and beyond, from Taylor Community and from the Melvin Village Community Church. He loved a good cup of hot black coffee, a spicy meal, collecting early American art glass, the craftsmanship of antique furniture and a bargain. He was proud of his service to his country and always honored the service and sacrifice of fellow veterans.  When thinking about how he wanted to be remembered, Charlie stated: “He was good to people.”

He was most proud of his children, Jennifer (Jeffrey) Desjarlais of Concord, MA; Christian (Jennifer) Coulter of Mirror Lake, NH and Faith Coulter of Cotuit, MA and the proud grandfather (Bumpa) to granddaughters Sarah, Hannah and Abby Coulter.

Charlie was predeceased by his wife Barbara Elizabeth (Reed) Coulter and is survived by a brother, Gordon L. Coulter, of Palermo, ME.

A Celebration of Life for Charlie will be held on Saturday, October 5 at 11:00 a.m. at the Melvin Village Community Church, 476 Governor John Wentworth Highway, Melvin Village, NH 03850.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the following organizations: Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Attn:  Development Department 875 N Randolph St, Suite 225 Arlington, VA 22203 (online at https://www.nmcrs.org) or Taylor Community, 435 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH 03246 Attn: Sunshine Fund.

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