Charles Edward Cross

1938 - 2022

Charles Edward Cross

November 19, 1938 - July 21, 2022

Charles "Charlie" Edward Cross, 83, of Concord, passed away July 21, 2022.

He was born in Barberton, Ohio, Nov. 19, 1938, and was raised in the Chautauqua Lake area of New York. Charles is preceded in death by his parents, Archie and Marguerite Cross; sister, Patricia Connnaty; and infant son, Michael Edward Cross.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Carolyn Peterson Cross of 65 years; sister, Barbara Kline; children, Jeffery Cross (Debbie), Pamela Cross (Wally), and Cathy Cross; grandchildren, Michael Emerson (Anita), Charles Emerson (Angel), Jason Cross and Stephanie Vanhoy (Joe); and great-grandchildren, Kayla, Savanna, Cameron, Robby, Jackson, Ryan, Nathan, Michael and Taylor.

After the love and dedication to his family, earning his dolphins and becoming a submariner was one of the highlights of his life. He served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years before he retired. During this time, he certified with his son in SCUBA and dove in the waters of Hawaii and Guam. Following his retirement from the military, he worked and retired from Duke Power and then Diebold. Throughout his life, he was involved in many outreach programs through USSVI (United States Submarine Veterans Inc.) and his church, Westford United Methodist. He enjoyed NASCAR, baseball, and classic cars. Between traveling with the military and recreational trips, he managed to visit all 50 states and several foreign countries, and looked forward to taking each grand and great-grandchild to Walt Disney World, always ready to participate in every activity that came along. As a grandparent, he was second to none attending sports, awards, and graduations, even into his later years.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 28, at 2 p.m., at Westford United Methodist Church, preceded by visitation at 1 p.m. Military Honors will be held Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m., at Salisbury National Cemetery-Annex, 501 Statesville Blvd. in Salisbury.

Memorial donations can be sent to Westford U.M.C., 273 Hwy. 49 S, Concord, NC, 28025 or the United States Submarine Veterans Charitable Foundation, www.ussvcf.org in memory of Charlie.