Charles Coombs Urmson

Charles C. Urmson, of Nashua, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully on April 27, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was 88 years old.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Charles was the beloved son of the late William and Eleanor (Healey) Urmson. He attended Winchester High School in Winchester, MA, graduating with the Class of 1955. Charles earned a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1959 and 1961, respectively. He later completed a Master of Business Administration at Harvard Business School in 1963.

An accomplished athlete, Charles enjoyed playing hockey in both high school and college. He later coached "Squirts" and loved teaching children how to play hockey. He was also an avid runner and co-founded the Hingham Striders running group in Hingham, MA. He ran four marathons, including the Cape Cod Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and the Boston Marathon-twice.

Charles worked for several notable companies, including Peat, Marwick, Livingston & Co. of Boston, MA; his own venture, Dynacycle; Rogers Foam Corporation of Somerville, MA; and Hypertherm of Hanover, NH. At Hypertherm, he served as Vice President of Manufacturing from 1983 to 1998.

Charles was industrious and had many interests and passions. He loved to sail and was especially fond of antique and classic boating. He built a turnabout sailboat, a Play Pen outboard motorboat, and restored a 1936 antique Chris-Craft. A skilled woodworker, he created many beautiful pieces of furniture and woodwork.

In retirement, Charles devoted much of his time to volunteer service. He was a member and treasurer of the Upper Valley Land Trust, a consultant for the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, and served on the Hypertherm Board of Directors. He was also an active member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hanover, NH. During this time, he earned his pilot's license and owned a Cessna airplane.

Beginning in 2000, Charles and his wife, Natalie, spent their winters in Green Valley, AZ, where he became an avid tennis player and participated in doubles. He also served as president of the Home Association for Foothills Townhouses IV.

In 2019, Charles and Natalie moved from the Upper Connecticut River Valley to The Huntington in Nashua, NH. There, he became president of the Resident Council, started the Sustainability Committee, wrote monthly editorials for the News and Reviews publication, participated in ABS (Anything But Sports), and recently joined the History Book Club.

Charles is survived by his devoted wife of 65 years, Natalie (Howard) Urmson; his children: Bill Urmson and his wife Karen of Attleboro, MA; Carol Brown and her husband Stan of Amherst, NH; Paul Urmson and his wife Michelle of New York City; Ellen Reney and her husband Paul of Wilder, VT; and Sally McCracken and her husband Matt of Lunenburg, MA. He is also survived by his cherished grandchildren: Tucker, Trevor, Marie, and Nathaniel; great-grandchildren: Sierra and Charlie; and by his siblings: John Urmson and his wife Birgit, James Urmson and his wife Brenda, Kathy Urmson, and many nieces and nephews.

Charles will be remembered for his quiet demeanor and warmth, his wit, his love of sports, sailing, woodworking, flying, summers on Cape Cod, and his deep devotion to his family and community.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charles's memory to the scholarship fund at The Huntington at Nashua to support staff members. For more information, please call Peggy Mellen at 603-589-4116.