Charles Henry "Charlie" Coleman

10/25/1931 - 12/4/2025

Groton – Charles Henry "Charlie" Coleman, 94, of Groton passed away at home surrounded by his loving family Dec. 4, 2025, after a short battle with lung cancer. Charlie was born in Hyannis, Mass., Oct. 25, 1931, to the late Cecil Adams Coleman and Helen (Monroe) Coleman.

The Coleman family was long established in Osterville, Mass., where he grew up and, as a teen, he worked at his father's Jenny gas station on Main Street, Osterville, learning general automotive care from the garage's mechanic, as well as pumping gas and providing customer service. He also assisted with his family's taxi company. (His mother drove servicemen in the taxi from Otis Air Force Base to their desired destinations during the war when his father was called away to serve in the U.S. Navy.)

While visiting friends in Wilkes Barre, Pa., he met the love of his life, Shirley Singer. Charlie and Shirley were married July 23, 1955 in Wilkes Barre, and Shirley's father, Reverend Milo Singer, performed the wedding ceremony. They settled in Mineola, N.Y. where their first three children were born. They enjoyed 66 years together before her death three years ago.

He graduated from Barnstable High School in 1949, and from Brown University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1953. His first job after graduation was working for Sperry in New York. He loved to fly and this gave him the opportunity to participate in test flights of various equipment. One of his notable achievements while there was receiving a patent (via Sperry) for the SP-40 auto pilot. When given a choice to move to Phoenix because Sperry was relocating, he had to turn it down due to family and financial concerns.

After leaving Sperry, he was hired by Electric Boat and the young family moved to Groton. While working at Electric Boat and prior to his retirement in May of 1992, he contributed to many other highly sensitive projects and a patent for the redesign of automatic gauge controls in steel and aluminum rolling mills. He moved the family to Tennessee for seven months while working on the Supersonic Propulsion Wind Tunnel project before returning to Groton where their fourth child was born. His job also took them to San Diego, Calif. He drove the family nine days across country (there and back a year later) with four kids, a dog and two parakeets in a station wagon. During these trips, he pointed out or visited various sites, such as the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, and the Grand Canyon. While in California, they experienced an earthquake and it snowed in San Diego that winter (a rare occurrence). A year after moving to San Diego, they returned to Groton and the same home. (It had not sold during the year they were gone!)

Although he was hindered by macular degeneration and deafness later in life, his mind stayed sharp. Charlie's interests were many and varied, but first, he loved his family beyond measure giving us many happy memories and he will be missed dearly. He was always there to encourage his children and grandchildren in their many endeavors.

He invited his children to learn and participate in all of his interests. He enjoyed tinkering with just about everything and put together many Heath-kit models - radios, TVs, his wife's electric organ and his computer. He also enjoyed working in his vegetable garden, woodworking - birdhouses, a picnic table, a workbench, and a ping pong table, and bird-watching. He loved watching musicals and Disney movies. He would make popcorn as we watched the Wonderful World of Disney each week as kids. He enjoyed the various things he could do on his computer, and reading Tom Clancy-style novels. He also enjoyed singing in the church choir and for the New London Chorale and he would occasionally break out Shirley's accordion for family sing-a-longs. We remember the floodlights when he took home movies of us on Christmas morning and he always made the gravy and carved the turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas. He took us clamming, fishing, played frisbee, badminton and fed the chipmunks while visiting his parents at the Cape when we were growing up. He was a life-long Red Sox fan and followed the UConn women's and men's basketball teams.

He had great interest in tracing his family from Osterville to their origins in England while doing his own research at various Town Halls, cemeteries, and libraries throughout Barnstable County. He complied a "Memories" file of his life from childhood at the Cape, his work experiences and life at home (including pictures) which we will treasure. He spent most of his life living in Groton, but also enjoyed his retirement years spent in Port Charlotte, Fla., and in Osterville, Mass.

He is survived by his daughters, Debbie (Dave) Miner of Groton and Susan (Mick) Franczek, also of Groton; his brother and sister-in-law, Cecil Jr. and Rose Coleman of Port Charlotte, Fla.; and sister-in-law Joni Singer of Stroudsburg, Pa.; grandchildren: Tom Clark, David (Hillary) Miner, Jason Miner and Michelle Woodhall; as well as six great-grandchildren: Chloe, Gavin and Luka Miner, Lacey and Madison Woodhall and Charlie Clark. He is also survived by numerous extended family members. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley (Singer) Coleman; his sons, Charles Coleman Jr. and Douglas Coleman; and sister, Barbara Kent.

Arrangements are being handled by Abbey Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Rocky Hill. All services will be private for the family. Donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.