Richard (Dick) Peter Charmley, 88, passed away peacefully while in hospice care on December 21, 2025, in Orlando, Florida, due to late-stage Alzheimer's.
Richard was born on June 20, 1937, in Madison, Wisconsin, one of 5 children born to Charles Clayton and Loretta Mary (Craker) Charmley. He initially grew up in an apartment above the family-owned pharmacy, but soon the family built and moved into a home in Maple Bluff. The family's close proximity to the shore of Lake Mendota had a lifelong, and generational influence on Richard's interests in fishing and boats. After high school graduation in Madison, Richard attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas and received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Following college graduation, he married the love of his life, Rose Mary Way, on June 30, 1962, in Madison. After brief residencies in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Ohio, Richard and Rose settled in Caro, Michigan, where they raised their four children and lived for 30 years.
Richard built a career at Walbro Corporation in Cass City, Michigan specializing in small engine carburetors and fuel pumps, working his way up to chief engineer. He was an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Caro, including his support of Rose's youth and handbell choirs. Richard became involved in the leadership of local Boy Scout troop 560 in Caro, and supported all three of his sons as they achieved their Eagle Scout awards.
Richard and Rose fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where in 1999 they built their retirement home in Sherwood Forest near Brevard. The house included a large workshop designed specifically for Richard to build boats, where he built four wooden boats during his retirement. Richard and Rose immersed themselves in their community, leading the local ballroom social dance club, and volunteering with several charitable organizations. He spent many summers teaching their beloved grandchildren the joys of fishing, hiking, and homemade root beer. In his retirement years, he enjoyed traveling and exploring foreign destinations including Italy and other parts of Europe, China, and the Philippines.
When the North Carolina winters became too harsh, Richard and Rose relocated to Oviedo, Florida, in 2019 to enjoy milder weather and to be near their daughter. They settled into a lakeside home and converted the garage to Richard's smaller scale workshop where he built stepstools, toy boxes, and the like for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Richard will be remembered for his precision with technical details in his work and woodshop creations; his warm, gregarious way of connecting with everyone he met; and a lifelong talent for storytelling that brought his fishing adventures and family memories vividly to life. He took great pride in his family's educational pursuits, closely tracking the achievements of his children and grandchildren, often sending handwritten encouragement and care packages filled with homemade cookies. His profound love for Rose remained constant throughout their 63-year marriage, expressed through quiet daily acts of kindness and unwavering tenderness until her passing.
Preceded in death by his wife Rose Mary, Richard is survived by his sister Sr. Susan Charmley of Nerinx, Kentucky and children, son Patrick R. (Lenna) of Seattle, WA; daughter Mary Rose (Michael) Johnson of Oviedo, FL; William J. (Maureen) of Beverly Hills, MI; and James E. (Sharon) of St. Louis, MO, as well as seven grandchildren (Rebecca, Jennifer, Thomas, Aidan, Colin, Jacob and Elijah) and 4 great-grandchildren (Jacobson, Audrey, Beckett and Carter).
Richard's kindness, devotion, and encouraging demeanor will be deeply missed. A family memorial to celebrate and honor his life is planned for in the mountains near Brevard, North Carolina.
Richard was born on June 20, 1937, in Madison, Wisconsin, one of 5 children born to Charles Clayton and Loretta Mary (Craker) Charmley. He initially grew up in an apartment above the family-owned pharmacy, but soon the family built and moved into a home in Maple Bluff. The family's close proximity to the shore of Lake Mendota had a lifelong, and generational influence on Richard's interests in fishing and boats. After high school graduation in Madison, Richard attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas and received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Following college graduation, he married the love of his life, Rose Mary Way, on June 30, 1962, in Madison. After brief residencies in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Ohio, Richard and Rose settled in Caro, Michigan, where they raised their four children and lived for 30 years.
Richard built a career at Walbro Corporation in Cass City, Michigan specializing in small engine carburetors and fuel pumps, working his way up to chief engineer. He was an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Caro, including his support of Rose's youth and handbell choirs. Richard became involved in the leadership of local Boy Scout troop 560 in Caro, and supported all three of his sons as they achieved their Eagle Scout awards.
Richard and Rose fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where in 1999 they built their retirement home in Sherwood Forest near Brevard. The house included a large workshop designed specifically for Richard to build boats, where he built four wooden boats during his retirement. Richard and Rose immersed themselves in their community, leading the local ballroom social dance club, and volunteering with several charitable organizations. He spent many summers teaching their beloved grandchildren the joys of fishing, hiking, and homemade root beer. In his retirement years, he enjoyed traveling and exploring foreign destinations including Italy and other parts of Europe, China, and the Philippines.
When the North Carolina winters became too harsh, Richard and Rose relocated to Oviedo, Florida, in 2019 to enjoy milder weather and to be near their daughter. They settled into a lakeside home and converted the garage to Richard's smaller scale workshop where he built stepstools, toy boxes, and the like for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Richard will be remembered for his precision with technical details in his work and woodshop creations; his warm, gregarious way of connecting with everyone he met; and a lifelong talent for storytelling that brought his fishing adventures and family memories vividly to life. He took great pride in his family's educational pursuits, closely tracking the achievements of his children and grandchildren, often sending handwritten encouragement and care packages filled with homemade cookies. His profound love for Rose remained constant throughout their 63-year marriage, expressed through quiet daily acts of kindness and unwavering tenderness until her passing.
Preceded in death by his wife Rose Mary, Richard is survived by his sister Sr. Susan Charmley of Nerinx, Kentucky and children, son Patrick R. (Lenna) of Seattle, WA; daughter Mary Rose (Michael) Johnson of Oviedo, FL; William J. (Maureen) of Beverly Hills, MI; and James E. (Sharon) of St. Louis, MO, as well as seven grandchildren (Rebecca, Jennifer, Thomas, Aidan, Colin, Jacob and Elijah) and 4 great-grandchildren (Jacobson, Audrey, Beckett and Carter).
Richard's kindness, devotion, and encouraging demeanor will be deeply missed. A family memorial to celebrate and honor his life is planned for in the mountains near Brevard, North Carolina.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Richard Peter Charmley, please visit our flower store.
Richard Peter Charmley's Guestbook
Visits: 17
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors