Obituary of John H. Charton

John Charton, 81, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with his loving family by his side. He was born August 20, 1940, in Springfield MA. The son of Charles and Laura Charton, John was a 1958 graduate of Mont Pleasant High School. Upon graduation he enlisted in the Unites States Navy, where he served for 4 years. John married Henrietta (Henny) DePersis on June 12,1965 and raised their family in Schenectady. John had a passion for making a difference in young peoples’ lives. He began his career at the Children’s Home in Schenectady, which led to his desire to earn a master’s degree in Social Work from SUNY Albany. After graduation, he worked as a counselor at Berkshire Farms Center & Services for Youth, and then spent most of his career as a director at the New York State Department for Youth (DFY). Although he retired, his passion for helping children never stopped. John and Henny moved to Baltimore MD, where John served as an assistant director for the Board of Child Care. Known as “Big John” or Mr. Charton, he was always honest and real straight shooter. He lived his life according to the motto, “If you can help someone, then do it!” And that’s exactly what John did! He was the kind of man who welcomed anyone (2- or 4-legged) into his home without hesitation, and once you were there, you were family. If you needed support and guidance, John was your man. John enjoyed time in his backyard with his family and friends listening to Motown music and watching sports all the while puffing on his giant cigars. He has been known to take over a dance floor at weddings or parties, entertaining the guests with his “signature” dance moves. In John’s early life, he played tennis daily and basketball on the weekends. Each day for John began with reading the NY Post. John was predeceased by his loving wife Henrietta Charton, his parents Charles and Laura Charton, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. John is survived by his two daughters, Kim (Paul) Gross and Penny (Eugene) Martin; his two nieces Denise Lovett and Deborah (Kevin) Herkel; and his nephew and James (Lana) Lovett, whom he loved as his own children; grandchildren Ryan and Angela Gross; step grandsons Casey and Alonzo Martin; as well Nick, Adam, Tyler, and Joella Lovett whom he loved as his own grandchildren. John is also survived by his brother Thomas (Carol) Charton; sisters Charlotte Silvestri, Diane Raymer, Penny Curcio, and Laura (David) Sanborn; brother-in-law Richard Lawler; and many nieces and nephews. John also leaves behind his “Special Friend” Luciana Guido, who took amazing care of him over the last 3 years. A visitation will be held on Saturday April 2, 2022 from 12 noon to 2 pm at Jones Funeral Home, at our new address, 2020 Central Avenue, Colonie, NY (inside Cannon Funeral Home) followed by a prayer service at 2 pm, burial with Military honors will be held at a later date In lieu of flowers, contributions in John’s memory may be made to Vitas Hospice.