Obituary of Arthur Lloyd Charlton

A. Lloyd Charlton

Arthur Lloyd Charlton, 96, a longtime Boonton resident known for his community involvement, his friendly smile and his sense of humor, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2024. After a lifetime of service, his second act included taking up the trumpet at 80, tap-dancing at his 90th birthday party, and reaching the goal of visiting all 50 states.

Born June 27, 1927, to Frank and Virginia (Salmon) Charlton in the West Main Street house that his father helped build, Lloyd, as he was known, grew up in Boonton during the Great Depression and World War II era. Among his most memorable times were four summers spent at a family farm near Phillips, ME, where he worked, climbed mountains, bathed in a frigid river, and fixed up a broken-down Model T with his younger brother. Lloyd also became an avid photographer; throughout his life he was seldom without his camera. He joined Boy Scout Troop 1, served as a Civil Defense Air Raid Warden as a teen, graduated from Boonton High School just before his 17th birthday, and worked full time as a mailman before being drafted into the Army in the closing days of the war. He served from 1945 to 1947, attaining the rank of Technician Fourth Grade while in Korea.

Lloyd attended Tufts College (now University) in Medford, MA, on the G.I. Bill. He played on the freshman football team (and forevermore could recite the results of all its games, usually lopsided defeats), pledged Delta Upsilon, and graduated in the college’s “Centennial Class” of 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He remained a devoted “Jumbo” who often returned for Homecoming and reunions. He last journeyed to “the Hill” in September 2023 for a football game, where he enjoyed meeting the coaches and watching his beloved alma mater prevail, 28-10.

After college, Lloyd tested products at Consumers’ Research in Washington, NJ, America’s oldest consumer protection organization, where a young lady in the mailroom caught his eye. After pursuing her for several years, he and Antoinette “Ann” Pulsinelli were married on June 9, 1956. They would enjoy 36 years together and raise three children before her death in 1993 after a long illness.

With a growing family in the late 1950s, Lloyd left the product testing field to once again work for Uncle Sam, first at the Atomic Energy Commission in New York City, and then for the bulk of his career at the Army's research base at Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, NJ. Post-retirement, he helped out at local stores including Boonton Photo, and at age 83 worked as a Census Taker for the 2010 U.S. Census.

Community service was the hallmark of Lloyd’s life. He was named Boonton's Citizen of the Year in 2007; two years later he was honored as the Boonton - Mountain Lakes YMCA Citizen of the Year.

He is perhaps best known for his 60+ years of involvement in the Boy Scouts of America; generations of Boonton boys learned outdoor skills and citizenship from him. Twice he was Scoutmaster of Troop 2 totaling 15 years, starting in the 1950s and again in the 1970s. He was Chairman of the Boonton District BSA Camping Committee for 20 years, a founding committee member of Cub Scout Pack 201, and “Mayor” for many years of a Klondike Derby “town” where Scouts tested their skills in winter competition. In 1974 he received the Silver Beaver award for distinguished and noteworthy service, the highest honor bestowed at the Council level; he also received the District Award of Merit.

Lloyd was elected to the Boonton Board of Education in 1965 and served for nine years. He was a life member of the Boonton High School Alumni Association; a life member and former trustee of the Boonton Historical Society, who led walking tours of Main Street until he was 94; a member and former trustee of the Salmon Family Association; and a member of the Rockaway Valley Garden Club. A Rotary Club member and chapter president in 2005, he received the Paul Harris Fellow Award in 2006. He volunteered with Meals on Wheels, coached Little League teams, and at age 78 drove solo to the Gulf Coast where he helped rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina.

A lifelong member at the First Presbyterian Church of Boonton, Lloyd served as elder, deacon and member of the "Presbyaires" singing group that entertained at nursing homes and senior centers. It was while singing (as best he could, but always enthusiastically) with the Presbyaires that the widowed Lloyd met and fell in love with Theresa (Prunier) Crespo, and they married on Nov. 18, 2000. Together, Lloyd and Terry enjoyed many adventures – he introduced the city girl to camping, and they journeyed domestically and abroad – that were always filled with laughter.

Lloyd and Terry began to record oral histories of local residents, then turned them into books, co-writing and self-publishing four books about Boonton in the first half of the 20th century. Copies were donated to the Holmes Library, local schools, the Morris County Library and Rutgers University, and were placed in a time capsule celebrating the town's 150th birthday to be opened in 2117.

Always willing to help with a project, Lloyd also made time to attend all the school concerts, plays and sports events of his children and then his grandchildren. And he was notorious for dropping in on old friends, including some he hadn’t seen in decades, usually bearing copies of photos he had taken of them.

In addition to his wife, Terry, he is survived by his children and their spouses, Nancy A. Charlton Questa (Angelo), William B. Charlton (Adrienne) and Arthur L. Charlton, Jr. (Susan); and step-children Carol Crespo (Lee Harris), James Crespo, Ray Crespo (Rebekah), and Joseph Crespo (Kay Thayer). He was the cherished grandfather of Anthony Questa, Nicholas Questa (Alexandra), John, Joshua, Bridget, and Jacqueline Charlton, and Jackson Crespo; and great-grandfather of Angelo “RayRay” and Nicholas “Nicky” Questa. He also is survived by his brother, John “Jack” Charlton (Barbara), four cousins, numerous nieces and nephews, and dear friends. In addition to his parents and first wife, he was predeceased by his sister, Alice Heaton. He also leaves numerous boxes of photographs, many rocks collected from around the world, and a treasure trove of memories.

Family and friends are welcome to visit on Friday, March 22, from 4-8 p.m. in the Dangler Lewis & Carey Funeral Home, 312 W. Main St., Boonton. The funeral will be held 1 p.m. Saturday in the First Presbyterian Church of Boonton, 513 Birch St., with interment to follow in Greenwood Cemetery, Boonton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Boonton Social Services, 100 Washington St., Boonton, NJ 07005, Boonton Volunteer EMS at www.bvems.org, or the charity of one’s choice.