Charles Theodore Cloutier

Dr. Charles T. Cloutier (Capt., USN Ret.), 84, of Portsmouth passed away on November 21, 2019, at the Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, MA.

Charles was born on December 16, 1934, in Fall River, MA. to the late Joseph T. Cloutier and the late Evelyn (Adam) Cloutier. Charles was the husband of Phyllis (Childs) Cloutier for 45 years.

At an early age, Dr. Cloutier was an Eagle Scout out of Fall River, MA. With the help of the Scouts and living a dutiful and spiritual life as a young man, Charles graduated from Somerset High School. He was inducted in the Somerset High School Athletic Hall of Fame in the early 2000s.

Following High School, he later followed his heart into medicine and the military. Serving in Korea as a medic, this led Charles to solidify and pursue his career with the military and became a board-certified surgeon in 1974. After completing his college degree, he then entered Boston University Medical School where he was awarded his Medical Doctorate Degree. Charles had served his surgical residency at Boston City Hospital where he was the last Chief of Surgery from Tufts Medical School. Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1980, Charles was able to fulfill a promise his made while service in Vietnam from 1967-1968 his promise to work alongside two close friends and Vietnam Veterans, Dr. Larry Carey, Chief of Surgery at Ohio State University, and Dr. Brian Lowrey, Thoracic Surgeon at Ohio State University. Above all else, Charles was known as a loving husband, father, pepere, uncle, great uncle, and a great-great uncle.

An avid sailor, Charles and Phyllis enjoyed living aboard and racing their Concordia Yawl sailboat, the Papillon, for many years and they even raced her in the M.O.R.C. Circuit before finally settling in Ohio and then retiring to Rhode Island. Charles was a prolific stamp collector and had many friends in the philatelic community. He loved dogs and cats throughout his entire life, and always had a furry friend nearby. Other interests included folk music, especially with the Common Fence Point Music Association, carpentry, and hockey - he coached several youth teams throughout his life. Charles had the worlds biggest, warmest laugh, and never met a stranger, only new friends. He will be dearly missed by all those who were fortunate enough to know him and experience his marvelous storytelling and good humor.

In addition to his wife, Phyllis, Charles is survived by his daughters, Barbara Cooper and her husband Gary, Elizabeth Cloutier and her husband Michael, Carole Reilly and her husband Matt, and his sons Joseph Cloutier and his wife Danielle, and Brian Cloutier and his wife Heather, and his eleven grandchildren. Charles is also survived by his nieces, Marsha Ollerhead and Marlene Drape, and grandnieces and grandnephew. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Marilyn (Cloutier) Drape.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Wednesday, November 27, 2019, at 10:00 AM, in St. Anthonys Catholic Church, 2836 East Main Road, Portsmouth.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Visiting Nurse Home Hospice, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, 02871, or Americas VetDogs -- Veterans K-9 Corps, 371 East Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787.