Charles E. Abernathy, age 95, of Quincy, formerly of Hull, died peacefully, Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth, surrounded by his loving family.
Charles was born in New London, Connecticut, to the late George W. and Caroline T. (Dahl) Abernathy. Raised in the Neponset section of Dorchester, he was a graduate of Boston Technical High School, Class of 1948.
Charles was proud to have served in the United States Navy from November of 1948 to his retirement in 1970 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, proudly wearing the uniform of a Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy.
During his career, he served aboard five different aircraft carriers: the USS Coral Sea (CVB-43), the USS Tarawa (CV-40), the USS Intrepid (CVA-11), the USS Essex (CVS -9), and retired from the USS Saratoga (CVA-60) as the Air Department Leading Chief.
Most of his Navy career was spent working on the flight deck involved in the catapult operations of launching aircraft or in arresting gear for aircraft recovery aboard these aircraft carriers.
Living in Hull after retiring from the Navy, he gained employment at Norfolk Conveyor in Cohasset, manufacturers of package handling systems, rising to Shop Superintendent and Manager of Manufacturing before leaving the company in 1994.
In retirement, he now found the time to enjoy family life, take care of the neglected house repairs, including a twenty-foot deck he built at the rear of the house. With the newly found time he discovered a passion for gardening, growing most vegetables and flowers from seed, and enjoying projects in the wood shop in the basement. He was proud of the accomplishment of replacing the small porch in the rear of the house with the large deck where he enjoyed cooking on the broiler during the summer weather.
Moving to Quincy after living in Hull for thirty-eight years, with his wife, to a senior citizen complex where he enrolled in computer classes and creative writing and having found a flair for writing short stories, he published five books on the internet containing over one hundred of these stories, with the availability of a wood shop in the complex he returned to small projects, including bird houses.
His great love was his family, family first was his credo.
He was the beloved husband for sixty years of the late Blanche D. Abernathy who died on August 17, 2025.
Charles was the devoted father of Sharon M. Bolanos of Burbank, California, and Carol L. Ennis and her husband Steve of Pembroke.
He was the loving grandfather of Edwin C. Bolanos and his wife Stephanye, Alysa R. Bolanos, Jordan L. Engel and her husband Robert, and John A. Ennis.
He was the cherished great grandfather of Timothy and Otto.
The last of three siblings, Charles was the dear brother of the late George W. Abernathy, Jr. and Arlene C. Chadnoit.
He is also survived by his nieces, Diane, Karen, and Lynda, his nephew, Paul, and their families.
In accordance with his wishes, inurnment, with military honors, will take place privately at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Charles' memory may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301 or www.dav.org.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Avenue, Quincy. You are invited to visit www.thesweeneybrothers.com or call 617-472-6344.
Charles was born in New London, Connecticut, to the late George W. and Caroline T. (Dahl) Abernathy. Raised in the Neponset section of Dorchester, he was a graduate of Boston Technical High School, Class of 1948.
Charles was proud to have served in the United States Navy from November of 1948 to his retirement in 1970 as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, proudly wearing the uniform of a Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy.
During his career, he served aboard five different aircraft carriers: the USS Coral Sea (CVB-43), the USS Tarawa (CV-40), the USS Intrepid (CVA-11), the USS Essex (CVS -9), and retired from the USS Saratoga (CVA-60) as the Air Department Leading Chief.
Most of his Navy career was spent working on the flight deck involved in the catapult operations of launching aircraft or in arresting gear for aircraft recovery aboard these aircraft carriers.
Living in Hull after retiring from the Navy, he gained employment at Norfolk Conveyor in Cohasset, manufacturers of package handling systems, rising to Shop Superintendent and Manager of Manufacturing before leaving the company in 1994.
In retirement, he now found the time to enjoy family life, take care of the neglected house repairs, including a twenty-foot deck he built at the rear of the house. With the newly found time he discovered a passion for gardening, growing most vegetables and flowers from seed, and enjoying projects in the wood shop in the basement. He was proud of the accomplishment of replacing the small porch in the rear of the house with the large deck where he enjoyed cooking on the broiler during the summer weather.
Moving to Quincy after living in Hull for thirty-eight years, with his wife, to a senior citizen complex where he enrolled in computer classes and creative writing and having found a flair for writing short stories, he published five books on the internet containing over one hundred of these stories, with the availability of a wood shop in the complex he returned to small projects, including bird houses.
His great love was his family, family first was his credo.
He was the beloved husband for sixty years of the late Blanche D. Abernathy who died on August 17, 2025.
Charles was the devoted father of Sharon M. Bolanos of Burbank, California, and Carol L. Ennis and her husband Steve of Pembroke.
He was the loving grandfather of Edwin C. Bolanos and his wife Stephanye, Alysa R. Bolanos, Jordan L. Engel and her husband Robert, and John A. Ennis.
He was the cherished great grandfather of Timothy and Otto.
The last of three siblings, Charles was the dear brother of the late George W. Abernathy, Jr. and Arlene C. Chadnoit.
He is also survived by his nieces, Diane, Karen, and Lynda, his nephew, Paul, and their families.
In accordance with his wishes, inurnment, with military honors, will take place privately at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Charles' memory may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301 or www.dav.org.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Avenue, Quincy. You are invited to visit www.thesweeneybrothers.com or call 617-472-6344.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles E. Abernathy, please visit our flower store.
Consider a donation, as requested by the family.
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