Rutland – Charles E. Vaillant, 86, passed away on July 13, 2024, at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
He was born on September 19, 1937, in Middleboro, to Ernest and Geneva Vaillant. Charlie earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Boston College. Charlie had a distinguished career in engineering. He worked for Raytheon for eight years, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for twenty-five years, and Sigma Consulting for seven years. He retired in 2000 after a fulfilling career.
On October 9, 1960, Charlie married the love of his life, Sandra Constantine. Together, they built a beautiful family, welcoming four sons: Richard, John, James and Peter. They created a loving home raising their family of 4 boys, 5 dogs and one cat in Hudson, MA. After all that they needed time to catch their breath, so they moved to Bourne on Cap Code and Naples Florida. They finally settled in Rutland Ma for the past 20 years to be close to a loving family of children, spouses, grandchildren, great grandchildren.
Charles Vaillant was known by many names to his ever-growing family – Charles, Charlie, Dad, Pop, Grampa, Great Grampa. His mind was always on the go putting his creativity into teaching people (youth hockey, CCD), utilizing his talents through woodworking to build items for his growing family or stamp collecting as he was always interested in history. He had a passion for life playing hockey, basketball, soccer in the earlier years. He played soccer with a team out of the Hudson Portuguese club in Hudson MA. He found hockey to be his most passionate sport coaching for Hudson Youth Hockey Program for many years, coaching several of his boys along the way, a referee, and avid Bruins fan. He was a phenomenal woodworker, known for his skill and craftsmanship in creating handcrafted toys, canoes, kayaks, and many pieces of furniture that have been passed down one generation to another. He loved camping with his family during the summer at Popham Beach Maine over several decades. He had a passion for sailing and spent much of his time on the sailboat ‘Rite of Passage’ with his beloved wife, cherishing many wonderful moments on the water. Charlie was also an avid reader who found joy in biography and nonfiction books. In addition to these interests he always found time for bicycling over the years.
He was preceded in death by his siblings, Joan Parent and Louise Burnickis.
Charlie is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sandra Vaillant; his children James Vaillant and his wife Tammy of Ormond Florida, Richard Vaillant and his wife Annette of Shrewsbury, Peter Vaillant and his wife Sandra of Jefferson, and John Vaillant of Leominster; his grandchildren Christopher, Andrew, Olivia, Jeremy, Meagan, Thomas, Nicole, Maeve, and Grace; and his great-grandchildren Navin, Brooke, Connor, Liam, Emma & Sofia and one on the way.
Calling hours will be observed on July 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden, followed by a funeral service at 12:00 p.m. Burial will take place immediately after the funeral service at Rural Cemetery in Rutland.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making memorial donations in Charlie’s name to the American Heart Association; https://www.heart.org/.
