Goodbye to Charley

Charley, Anna, & Little Anna
It is with great sadness that we learned of Charley Courtney's passing on October 14 at age 93.  Charley has served as Anna's local grandfather since the day she was born.

Charley and Anna have been an important member of our extended family here in Northern Virginia for the past 10 years.  When Anna was born, he happily assumed the role of the doting grandfather, complete with photos to show to anyone when he was talking about his grand-daughter.  He and Anna were little Anna's first local babysitters, taking her to the park, blowing bubbles, playing games, and of course always providing some sort of treat (Charley always took little Anna for ice cream).

Every holiday or birthday, they always made sure to bring Anna some sort of surprise with Charley always asking ahead of time what she liked to play with so he could make sure to get her what she wanted (Charley supplied a lot of Thomas the Trains for little Anna).  A religious man, Charley made sure little Anna had a children's prayer book and a children's bible as she grew.  He and Anna were regular book suppliers for little Anna, always finding challenging and interesting things for her to read with them.
Charley handing out treats to little Anna

Charley was there for little Anna's big events - birthdays, baptism, pre-school graduation, grandparents' day at school, etc......  Even as his body started to slow down, he was always up for a visit with little Anna.

Charley served as a great friend to Joe and Theresa as well.  A World War II veteran and well traveled man, Charley always had fantastic stories and was a great story-teller at that.  Really, how many people do you know that can talk about visiting Saudi Arabia in 1953 as part of the newly established U.S. Air Force?  He and Joe could often be found discussing fishing and engineering.  He always had travel stories from the years he spent RVing across the United States.  He had farming tales from his days growing up on a farm in Missouri.  He had stories from the depression and hitchhiking across country to find work.  Mixed in his stories were always life lessons.

One of the many lessons from Charley is that you don't need to act your age.  People were often shocked at his real age because he looked and acted so much younger.  Whether it was going to the gym every day with Anna or taking trips (Jamaica, cruises, Mexico) or just  joining in a party, Charley enjoyed life.  He and Anna were a regular at the Fagella household for dinners, where Theresa enjoyed making Midwestern treats for him, which frequently included pie.  As Charley use to say, "I only like two kinds of pie:  hot or cold."  He was always ready with a joke and a smile.

Charley lived a long and full life, making the most of opportunities along the way.  We are so fortunate he was a part of our lives.  Charley, we will remember you fondly.
Anna's 7th Birthday







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