Charles E. Carlson passed away peacefully Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, with his wife by his side.

He was born in Little Ferry, NJ. to the late Arthur and Audrey Carlson.

He worked for Sunkist Growers in New York as a fruit inspector and later for 29 years for the USDA in Washington, D.C., as a marketing specialist. He was a life member of the American Legion Post 364 and VFW 6984 in Milton. He enjoyed singing and he loved everybody, and everybody was his friend.

After retirement in 1999, he moved to Lewes and worked for 10 years at Peebles department store, where he made a lot of friends and everyone called him Chuckles.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Erika Carlson (Putz); his brother, Kenneth Carlson; stepson, Michael Putz and wife Riikka; grandson, Juho Putz and wife Ulla; sisters-in-law, Carol Carlson, Hildegard Schlicht, her daughter Bettina, her son Stefan, and family, and Marianne Meinecke; brothers-in-law, Josef Putz and significant other Alane, and Rudolph Putz and wife Irmgard, daughter Nicole, and son Thorsten Putz; his nieces, Debora, husband Joe, and family, and Bonny and Stanley Petrauska, and family; nephew, George, his wife Tracy, and family; and nephew, Todd Carlson and family.

A big thank you to all of his caretakers Therese, Nancy, Jessica, Akita, Mone'y, Andrea and Angelica.

A funeral will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 26, at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 26669 Patriots Way, Millsboro.