Charles R Downes died on December 4th with his loving daughters by his side.
He was born in Rochester, NH August 29, 1945 to Anne (Lambert) Downes and Charles W. Downes.
Charlie grew up in Rochester. As a child, he survived a polio infection that kept him out of school for 4 months.
One of his most cherished childhood memories was when he collected Mallow Cup wrappers for a chance to win a new bike and a trip to Yankee Stadium with the entire Red Sox team. He won and traveled by train with his mom sitting with Ted Williams.
He graduated from Spaulding High School in the class of 1963. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree at the Thompson school at UNH. He married his wife of 53 years, Mary Lou Morang in 1967.
He joined the NH Army National Guard and was sent for a tour in Vietnam. While on his leave he chose Hawaii as his destination to meet up with Mary Lou which would be the first of three trips to Hawaii in his lifetime. While back in Vietnam, it is thought that he may have been exposed to Agent Orange which caused his diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Charlie worked as a manager for Woolworth’s in Portsmouth, NH were he met Mary Lou for the first time. After they were married, they moved around for Woolworth’s as he helped to open more stores around New England.
In 1976, with a leap of faith, he and his family moved back to Rochester, NH to buy Sylvain’s General Store. His family lived upstairs while he ran the store downstairs. He was famous for his steamed hot dogs and Penny Candy.
His family joined the Church of God and over time, he began taking ministry courses. With a shift in the economy he got a job at the Portsmouth Naval Ship Yard then a transfer into the Postal Service. He worked at the Rochester Post Office for many years on the window helping customers. In 1983, he and his family moved to Eliot, Maine to care for Mary Lou’s ailing parents.
As his faith grew over the years he joined the Promise Keepers and attended the Million Man March. He also took a missionary trip to India in 1995. He spent time participating in prison ministries as well as filling in as interim pastor for churches all over New England.
He later became pastor of the Eliot Advent Christian Church. He served his community bringing compassion to families, friends, and strangers alike. He loved the underdogs, the forgotten, and the misunderstood when nobody else would. He listened, guided, and supported people on their life’s journey. He officiated over eighty funerals. His sermons were always engaging and full of songs and hymns. When Covid hit and the church was closed, he started a daily devotional program on Facebook Live. He was followed by many including fans from Africa. He was predeceased by his wife Mary Lou, his brother James and sister Betty Fabinski. He is survived by his daughters Katherine Holmes of Eliot, Leslie Downes and her husband Shane of New Gloucester, ME, his grandchildren Jace Downes of Acton, ME, Devon Holmes of Eliot, Theodora and Lucianna of New Gloucester.
Friends are invited to visit with Charlie’s family on Friday December 16, 2022 from 2-3pm in the First Congregational Church of Eliot, UCC 1361 State Road Eliot, Maine 03903 . A funeral will be celebrated in the church at 3pm. Following Charlies funeral all are invited to join in fellowship for a Pot Luck dinner in the parish hall. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.jspelkeyfuneralhome.com, Care for the Downes family has been entrusted to the J S Pelkey and Son Funeral Home.
