Charles D'Entrone, 91, of Boynton Beach, Florida, died on Monday, February 13, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Susan D'Entrone, as well as his children Eric, Craig, Amelia, Chad and Julia. Also left to cherish his memory are his sister Angela and sister-in-law Judy, his brothers-in-law Vinny and Matt, and his grandchildren Luca, Harry, AJ and Charlie. He is preceded in death by his brothers Will and Frank and his sisters-in-law Audrey, Nancy and Bonnie.

Charles was born into struggle and faced daunting challenges throughout his life. But through his hard work, good fortune and the love he shared with others, he would experience unexpected decades of happiness and joy.

Charles was born in Yonkers, New York in 1931, just as the Great Depression began ravaging the country. Like millions of Americans, he and his family endured that era's crushing hardships. His Italian immigrant parents, Giuseppe and Maria, struggled just to put food on the table for Will, Charles, Angela and Frank. When Charles was just nine years old tragedy struck as his mother Maria died suddenly from an aneurysm. Heartbroken and out of work, his father Giuseppe couldn't provide for the family and had no choice but to send the children into foster care. Charles's foster families abused him and denigrated him with anti-immigrant slurs.

But the D'Entrones never stopped loving each other, and within a few years and with the help of his future brother-in-law, Vinny, Charles rejoined his father and siblings. They resolved never to let anything separate them again. As they rebuilt their family, Charles went to high school during the day, worked at night to help support them and joined the National Guard for extra pay. After high school the Army drafted several of his friends to fight in the Korean War. Rather than wait for it to call his name, Charles enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

From 1952 to 1956 Charles served in the Naval Construction Force. Better known as the "Seabees," the force built the bases and airstrips that the U.S. used to wage the Cold War. Charles shipped off to the Philippines, where he helped build the Naval Air Station at Cubi Point – a project as enormous as the Panama Canal. He also helped build stations and airstrips in Japan and on Midway Island. By the time he came home, Charles had mastered nearly all construction equipment and could build just about anything with his own hands.

Charles put those construction skills to use during the 1950s and 60s and helped build some of New York City's most iconic buildings, including the first World Trade Center. Meanwhile, he held close to his family by living with his father, his sister, his brother-in-law and their children. He stayed a bachelor throughout his twenties and thirties, and later said that he avoided serious relationships because he didn't want anything to come between him and his beloved father, Giuseppe, who remained brokenhearted his whole life.

Just a few months after Giuseppe died in 1969, Charles's heart opened to love and he met Susan Fein. In many ways, Charles and Susan were opposites. Charles was 39, while Susan was 27. Charles had been raised Catholic, while Susan was Jewish. Charles grew up impoverished in Yonkers, while Susan lived in upper-middle-class comfort in Mount Vernon. Charles barely finished high school and eked out a living with his hands, while Susan earned a college degree and built a career as an educator. But they had a lot of fun together, Susan gamely joined Charles on trips to his hunting cabin, and they bonded with each other's families. They fell in love.

Charles married Susan in 1973, when he was 41 years old. They had their first son, Eric, in 1974, their second, Craig, in 1976, and their third, Chad, in 1983. Charles was overjoyed at becoming a father, and pictures from those years show him snuggling his babies with loving tenderness. He took his sons camping, volunteered to lead their Boy Scout troops, drove them to every activity, and showed endless pride in nearly everything they did. Charles modeled the best kind of masculinity for his sons, showing them by example how to be self-reliant and resilient but also sensitive and gentle.

As Charles reached his mid fifties and sixties, though, hardships returned. He lost his brothers Will and Frank, who both died much too young. Years of backbreaking construction work wore out Charles's body, and he nearly died twice from heart attacks. While on a job he fell off a ladder and destroyed his shoulder. As an injured, unhealthy older man without higher education, Charles struggled to find work and spent much of the 1980s and early 90s dealing with unemployment and pervasive sadness. If it weren't for Susan's industriousness, love and support, he might have lost everything.

But Charles still had new chapters of his life to come. At nearly 70 years old, he landed a job as head custodian at a Westchester elementary school, where he loved building and cleaning for the students and they treated him like a favorite uncle. As his and Susan's children grew into adults, she encouraged him to get out and socialize. Together they formed new friendships with other couples their age, and they'd become some of the deepest and most meaningful friendships he'd ever had. Charles had been reserved and a little shy all his life, but with his new friendships his personality bloomed and he became gregarious, energetic and eager to share his feelings and experiences.

When Charles and Susan's older sons got married and had children, Charles showed each of his daughters-in-law and grandchildren the same loving tenderness and pride he'd shown his own boys. After Susan finished her long career as a teacher, they moved to Florida, where they relished their retirement in the sun.

Thanks to Susan's care and advocacy, Charles survived a series of health crises in his seventies and eighties. But though his legs, back, heart and lungs slowly succumbed to age, his last years were some of the happiest of his life. In the spring of 2022 doctors diagnosed him with congestive heart failure and said he wouldn't live much longer. Still, Charles willed himself to squeeze in two more major moments of joy. He made it to his grandson Luca's Bar Mitzvah in May 2022 and then to his youngest son Chad's wedding to Julia in November 2022. Though he was 91 and short of breath, he made an impassioned, loving speech and celebrated with his now-enormous extended family, including his 90-year-old sister Angela and her and their brothers' children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Two months later, Charles's life ended at home in comfort and peace, with his large family and many friends reflecting back the love and care he'd shown them his entire life.