Carmel “Charlie” Vella, 77, of Middletown, passed away peacefully Sept. 21, 2024, surrounded by the love of his family. Born in Paula, Malta, Charlie then grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. His family moved to the United States where he attended John Jay High School in Brooklyn. After high school, Charlie served in the United States Army. He was honorably discharged and rejoined his parents and sisters in Jersey City before finally settling in Middletown with his wife and children.
Charlie had a long and fulfilling career as a patent illustrator for AT&T and Lucent Technologies.
He is survived by the love of his life, Mary, his wife of 52 years, and their children, Stephanie (Michael) Pegues, Jeffrey (Ashley) Vella, and Sean (Nicole) Vella. He is also survived by his siblings Mary Berticcelli, Eileen (Eddie) Gatt, Vivian (Bruce) Barry, and John Rodenas, as well as his cherished grandchildren Daniel and Joseph Vella.
He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Doris Vella.
Charlie was a jack of all trades – there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix or figure out. He loved cooking and entertaining for his family and friends, enjoyed fishing and gardening, and had a deep love for jazz, especially the trumpet. In addition to his many talents, he was an amateur photographer, carpenter and the life of every party. Charlie will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
A celebration of life will be held in Charlie’s honor from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 26 at Evergreen Memorial Funeral Home, Middletown. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 27 at St. Mary’s Church in Middletown.
The article originally appeared in the September 26 – October 2, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
