Charles B. Wells Jr., 69, of Hazlet, passed away Sept. 26. Charlie was born Dec. 27, 1951 and raised in the Bronx, a son of the late Edith and Charles Wells Sr. He moved to Keansburg in 1977 and then settled in Hazlet two years later.
Charlie opened Charlie’s Place in Keansburg when he first moved here from the Bronx. To this day, people would still come up to Charlie and say they remembered him from the deli. He later went to work for the Middletown Township Public School District, where he became the chief custodian at Lincroft Elementary School. Before that he was the custodian at Ocean Avenue Elementary School. Charlie also served as the Steward at the Keyport Yacht Club for nearly 20 years.
Charlie had an immense love for his family and friends. He had a great sense of humor and loved to pull the occasional prank. He was a devoted family man and a man with a strong work ethic. He made so many friends over the years through his work and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Charlie is survived by his wife Ruth (Greene) Wells and his four children, Michael C. Wells, Courtney Wells Lawson, Elizabeth Wells and Christopher C. Wells, along with their mother Jeanne McCarthy Wells. Charlie also leaves behind two stepchildren, Caitlin Altland and Brendan Flanagan; a sister Barbara Wells; a brother Gary Wells; and 12 grandchildren, Lexus, Dale, Livia and Delilah Lawson, Renee, Michaela, Abigail and Evan Wells, Yasir and Nora Muhammad, and Parker and Morgan Altland.
Friends and relatives paid their respects Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at Scott & Kedz Home for Funerals. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Oct. 1 at Saint Ann’s RC Church, Keansburg. A private cremation followed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a Memorial Donation to the Amanda Gambacorto Foundation, P.O. Box 4036, Middletown NJ 07748-4036.
The article originally appeared in the October 28 – November 3, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
