Charles D. Pecue

 Charles D. “Pickles” Pecue, age 94, of Route 153 in West Pawlet, Vt., passed away at Glens Falls Hospital, March 1, 2008 surrounded by his loving family.

Charles was born on June 30, 1913 at home in Granville, the son of the late Charles E. Pecue II and Mildred (Waldo) Pecue.

When he was young, he helped his family run their hotel and Pecue’s Bar on the West Pawlet/Granville town line. He also helped out local farmers doing odd jobs, part time for extra money. After graduation from Granville High School in 1933, Charles was employed at Tatko Brothers and Sims Freight Service, where he drove tractor trailer, hauling flagstone and tennis court sand across the United States. In the 1940s, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, where he was stationed in Alaska. There he was a test pilot (testing and taxiing planes), and an engineer (operating various heavy equipment machines). He also delivered mail by dog sled. During this time, on Jan. 24, 1945, he married his wife, Mary Laura (Jones) Pecue. After being honorably discharged from the army, Charles and his wife lived in Spruce Gum and he went back to driving tractor trailer for Sims Freight Service and then Rising and Nelson Freight. Around 1961, he ran Idlewild Park on Lake St. Catherine with Clifford and Dorothy Ellis and also worked in the sewing rooms of Telescope Furniture setting up the machines. Charles became a bus mechanic in Granville Central School in 1965 and then a bus driver. A while later he owned/operated a Shell service station in Granville, for about two years. He retired from bus driving and then worked part time at the Granville Lanes Bowling Center, where he fixed the bowling machines and taught children how to bowl on Saturday mornings.

Charles was an avid bowler and once bowled a 300 game. He enjoyed tinkering in his garage, dousing with his pliers, along with hunting and fishing at the family camp, “Kent Hollow” located in West Rupert, Vt. He traveled to Florida with his wife for several winters and took his grandchildren to Maine in the summertime. Charles was an honorary member of the West Pawlet Fire Department and a member of the American Legion Post #323 in Granville.

Besides his parents, Charles was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Mary, three brothers: Claude Pecue , Harold (Jumbo) Pecue and Raymond Pecue and five sisters: Margaret Mason, Gladys Lincoln, Helen Standard, Betty Flemming and Dorothy Nelson.

Survivors include one son, Charles E. Pecue III and his wife, Maureen, of Hudson Falls; three grandchildren: Kerri Pecue of Staten Island, Kristi Purdy and her husband, Scott, of Hudson Falls and Eddie Pecue of Boston, Mass; one great grandson, Eric Purdy of Hudson Falls; one sister: Beatrice Thomas and her husband, Lester, of Whitesboro, N.Y. and many dear nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews and friends and neighbors.

A funeral service was held on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 10 a.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Church in West Pawlet, Vt., with the Rev. Tom Zelker presiding. Friends called on March 3 at the Robert M. King Funeral Home at 23 Church Street Granville. Burial will be in the spring in Our Lady of Mt.  Carmel Cemetery.

Memorial contribution may be made to the Granville Rescue Squad, Box 153, Granville, NY 12832 or the West Pawlet Fire Department, Main St. West Pawlet, VT 05761