Obituary of Charles W. Hedge

Charles (Charlie to his family, Chuck to his friends) Wesley Hedge, 79, passed away on June 25, 2022, in Middletown, CT, after a short hospital stay. Charlie was born in New London on September 9, 1942, son of the late John Campbell Hedge and Helen (Guray) Hedge. He attended Harbor Elementary School and then Waterford High School where he met his first wife, Barbara. They graduated in 1961. Charlie had many wonderful adventures living in New London and developed lifelong friendships there. He always had an antique shop somewhere in town where he could be found shooting the breeze or catching up on goings on in New London with a nephew, someone from the old neighborhood or other antique dealers. If you were lucky you'd see his kids Heather and Trevor, hard at work learning the family trade! Charlie was proud of his family being from Fishers Island. In fact he'd boast that there was a street named after the Hedge family. Look it up on a map, you'll see that, indeed, there is! He was born with salt water in his veins. He always had a boat or was on the water. He was a first mate on charter fishing boats for many years. He and his kids were always on the water or in the water, eating seafood they had just caught right out of the local waters. Chuck was also a master carpenter. He could build amazing pieces of furniture. He was often hired to renovate bars and restaurants that had fallen into disrepair. People would bring him a giant pile of wood, come back in a week to find it was a roll top desk beautifully refinished and restored. The decks he has built were always a masterpiece. He was a miracle worker with wood! Chuck was a voracious reader. In fact most of the things he knew about antiques and woodworking were self-taught from reading. He always had a book about nautical history or nautical fiction in his car. Chuck has always loved fine food and developed friendships with many restaurants and bar owners. He was a VIP customer in every restaurant he went to. He enjoyed good food at home also, if you were lucky he would share the Hungarian stuffed cabbage he made from his mother's old world recipe. Chuck always had a dog by his side. His beloved Masha, Zippy, Duke, Betty and Bella. His hand was happiest down by his side scratching his dog's ear. He lived in Deep River for 25 years at Honey spot with his amazing second wife Ellen (the family was devastated when we lost her in 2016) together they built the property into an oasis of peace and a weekend refuge from the soul crushing rat race. Chuck was very involved with the local Rotary. He had a network of friends that he considered family from Deep River and the Rotary. His gregarious nature always ignited a room, and he met friends daily for Happy Hour at the Ivory/Landing and Main. He was well loved enjoyed everyone’s company. He was often the ringleader to get an activity or party planned, and loved to share thoughtful gifts and remembrances with special friends to brighten their day. Charles is survived by his daughter, Heather Hedge Bean, Chuck's good friend, (Heather's husband), Jeff Glennon, of Gales Ferry; his son, Trevor Hedge of Providence, RI; a brother, Edmund Hedge of TX; two sisters, Sandra Casimono of CT and Helene Schott of MA; five grandchildren Jake Palmieri, Kelly Bean, Abbey Haskins (Matthew),Yuri Bean and Casandra Palmieri and many nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents and his beloved wife, Ellen Larson, he was predeceased by his daughter, Holly Hedge; his brother, Robert Hedge; sister, Nancy Jane Myers, and his first wife, Barbara Hedge. A Memorial Service for Charles will be held at 1 PM on Sunday, July 10, 2022, at the Deep River Congregational Church, 1 Church St., Deep River, CT 06417. In lieu of flowers, donations in Charles’ memory may be made to The Marfan foundation (Marfan.org). The Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home of Centerbrook is caring for the arrangements. To share a memory or leave a condolence message for Charles’ family, please visit www.rwwfh.com.