Charles Robert Lauren, 70, of Chester

Charles Robert Lauren passed away peacefully at the Jack Byrne Center in Lebanon, N.H., surrounded by his family and friends on Aug. 13, 2024 after a year-long struggle with cancer.

Charlie was a true Vermonter.

Charlie was born on Jan. 29, 1954 in Springfield to Arnold and Dorothy Lauren of Andover. He grew up in Andover with his parents and five siblings, alongside whom he made an adventure of every day by roaming the woods, playing soccer in the spring and ski racing in the winter, developing a lifelong love of books and managing to stay out of too much trouble.

They were a close-knit family, enjoying the simple pleasures of spending time together and celebrating everyday special moments, a value that Charlie embraced and shared with others across many countries and cultures as he later traveled the globe. He attended Green Mountain Union High School, where he met his future wife, Beverly Jean Davis. The two were married on July 8, 1972 in Cavendish.

Along with Beverly, Charlie shouldered the responsibility of a family early in life and took joy and pride in acquiring an immense variety of skills over the years to support them, a very abbreviated list of which would include such disciplines as construction management, white water kayaking, electrical systems maintenance, postal mail delivery, general carpentry, snowmaking and ski lift maintenance.

Most notably, he worked as a Project Manager for a European cable car company for 20+ years, a job that was also a lifestyle that took him to job sites for years at a time in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. He helped build all kinds of interesting things, including people movers in Doha, Qatar and Mandalay Bay in Vegas and the Oakland, Calif., Airport Connector. In his early 60s, he returned home to Chester to his family and the ski country he loved, managing the lifts at Mt. Snow.

Always growing and challenging himself, Charlie then discovered a love for beekeeping and started a small home apiary that produces the most wonderful local honey, which he and Bev intended to sell at local farmers markets but usually ended up just giving away by the bucketful to friends and family.

More than anything, he enjoyed his grandchildren and large family, telling stories and making mischief of one kind or another. Though if given the chance he would find a way to squirrel away with a good book or we’d hear about him staying up reading into the wee hours until just before the lifts started turning.

Charlie was predeceased by his parents and his younger brother, Arnie Lauren.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Beverly Lauren, his son, Jeremy Lauren and his wife Jane, his daughter, Jessica Maher and her husband Tom, his grandchildren, Zachary, Matthew, Bennett and Rowan, his siblings Charlene Huyler of Andover, Karl Lauren of Chester, Kelly Brunelle of Chester, and Pam Beecher of Walpole, N.H., in-laws, many nieces and nephews, large extended family, and childhood friends all of whom were and continue to be, a tremendous support.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Andover Community Church, 928 Weston, Weston-Andover Road, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative Care in Lebanon, N.H. or by clicking here. If you’re between the ages of 18-40, please also consider registering as a bone marrow donor by clicking Be The Match.