Charles Dreyer

Dreyer, Charles W.
Charles William Dreyer, passed on December 2, 2013, he was 86. Charlie was born on May 21st, 1927, the day Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris in his historic trans-Atlantic flight, earning him his childhood nickname, 'Lindy'. He and his wife, Anne C. (Hasson) Dreyer celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on November 13th. He was the son of Elizabeth Rebecca (Miller) Dreyer-Traub and William Charles Dreyer formerly of Elizabeth, NJ. Charlie attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Elizabeth, NJ, leaving to serve in the US Merchant Marines for two years, followed by service in the US Army including deployment in Japan as a radioman. His early love of the trumpet grew to life-long enchantment and he was a member of the Northern NJ chapter of the American Federation of Musicians for over 70 years. As a musician, he led his own big band, "Charlie Dreyer and his Orchestra" from the late 1940's into the 1960's, often playing with his brother Frank. He led the first school band program at Morris Catholic High School (Denville, NJ). Gatherings at the Dreyer house were enlivened whenever Charlie took out his trumpet and began impromptu concerts and sing-alongs with family and friends joining in creating music. His musical legacy continues to bring joy to many. After a successful career in radio and television repair, he transitioned to the field of electronics engineering and worked directly on early Titan missiles at Cape Canaveral in 1959. His continued work in microwave radio frequency coaxial connectors earned him several patents for technology. He served on international standards committees for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (I.E.E.E.) internationally and traveled abroad extensively. He retired in 1992 as VP of Operations for RadiallUSA in Stratford, CT, and then became a charter employee of the Bridgeport Bluefish. His engineering career brought him and the family from New Jersey to Plymouth, Michigan (1971-1975), Merrimack, NH (1975-1977), and then Fairfield, CT. A devoted and dedicated father and husband, Charlie's legacy includes his wife of 65 years, Anne Catherine (Hasson) Dreyer, and six children: Kathleen Van Antwerp (Donald) of Oak Ridge, NJ, Charles Dreyer Jr. Capt. US Army Ret., (Hilde) of Columbus, NJ, Mary Curry (Dennis) of Columbia, MD, Michael Dreyer of Bridgeport, CT, Valerie Wyman (John) of Wilton, CT, and Timothy Dreyer (Laura) of Bedford, NH. His family also includes 18 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren. He also leaves a brother, Frank (Coralie), of Piscataway, NJ. He was predeceased by his sisters Shirley Serina and Dorothy Marczak. He was resident of Fairfield from 1977 until 2012. He enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren at their many sporting events and concerts, and was the number one fan of each of them. He was also an avid fan of the Yankees, and UConn Women's Basketball. He had a garden full of tomatoes, & blueberry bushes. Anne and he frequented concerts and plays at several venues in Fairfield including the Quick Center for the Arts where they served as ushers for many years, the Penfield Pavilion, and the Sherman Green Gazebo in Fairfield. He served as commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post of Fairfield and was a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a daily communicant and frequent trumpet soloist at St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church in Fairfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, December 7, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1719 Post Road, Fairfield. Interment with military honors will follow in St. Thomas Cemetery. Friends may call Saturdya from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to St. Thomas Church in Fairfield, CT in Charlie's name.