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Charles Garner Wolfe, 88, of Madison, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Nov. 4, 2021. Charles was born in New Haven in 1933 to Lawrence and Mary (Foss) Wolfe, but spent the past 50 years in Madison, where he and his wife, Tricia, raised their four children.

Remembered in his youth as a tough kid with a giant heart and movie-idol good looks, Charles used his older brother’s birth certificate to obtain a boxing license and started fighting professionally at the tender age of 15, building a winning record against fighters 5 to 10 years his senior in matches and “smokers” throughout the New Haven area. After a close friend was killed in combat at the outset of the Korean War, Charles enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17. He was a decorated combat veteran of The Fighting Fifth Marine Regiment and was a proud 1st Division Marine and supporter of veteran affairs all his life. A born salesman, he used the G.I. Bill to pursue a degree in marketing after the war, and joined the sales force of Procter & Gamble in the early 1960s. He was a well-known and respected figure in the health and beauty aid sales industry, where he enjoyed a successful three-decade career with Revlon, Mitchum-Thayer, Norcliff, and Jeffery Martin, retiring as vice president of sales for the east coast.

Famous for his charm, winning smile, and a youthful twinkle in his eyes, Charles was resilient, stoic, and undeterred by decades-long heath issues that were predicted to end his life when he was 40. He faced his personal challenges with unwavering optimism and an iron will, and he was relied on by all who knew him for his strength, support, and sage advice.

Though he lived most of his life in Madison, New Haven was in Charles’s blood. He returned there often with his brother Larry to visit friends, family, and old haunts, and they enjoyed reminiscing and regaling family with tales of the Elm City during the Depression and war years and the colorful characters from their neighborhood, like famed pizzeria owner Frank Pepe and mobster Midge Renault. In his 60s, he was reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Deborah Barile, who shared his memories and love for the old days in New Haven, and they enjoyed a re-kindled romance until her passing in 2008.

Charles was an avid reader, crossword-puzzler, classic movie cinephile, and history buff, but his first love was always his family. His true enjoyment and real passion in life was his role as a dedicated patriarch and generous, doting, and loving father and grandfather, and no sacrifice was ever too great for his family’s wellbeing or happiness. An animal-lover and supporter of animal welfare charities, Charles counted his grand dogs among “Pop’s babies,” and treasured his Fred and“Ginger, two sibling rescue cats that he adopted as kittens and shared a close bond with for 20 years.

Charles is predeceased by his beloved brother and best friend Lawrence Burkett Wolfe and his beloved son Richard. Charles is survived by his son Kenneth Ranciato and his wife Barbara of Guilford, his son Christian Wolfe and wife Lee of Pottersville, New Jersey, and his daughter Melissa Wolfe Beiner of Madison. He is also survived and will be missed greatly by his adored grandchildren, Kirsten Ranciato, Jake and Katy Beiner, and Maddie Wolfe and his great-grandson William, as well as his many cherished nephews and nieces.

A memorial service was held on May 28 in St. Margaret’s Church in Madison, followed by a reception for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, it was Charles’s wish that donations be made to APKCharities.org (a Connecticut public charity serving active military, veterans, and Gold Star families in Connecticut) in Charles’s name or to the ASPCA; donations at 1-800-628-0028 can be made in Charles’s name. To sign his online guest book, visit www.swanfuneralhomemadison.com.