Kickham, Charles C

Charles Christopher Kickham, 81, of Broad Brook, CT died at his home June 1, 2023. He was born December 14, 1941 in Cork, Ireland to John and Anne (O'callaghan) Kickham. He came to the States in 1961 on the SS America and later went on to pursue his education at the University of Hartford graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. He worked at Traveler's and then at Cigna for many years until his retirement. Charlie moved to Canton, CT with his former wife Linda Kickham where they raised four children. He leaves behind son John Kickham and his children Tyler and Abigail Kickham; son Thomas Kickham and wife Cara and their children Treasa and Nevin Kickham; daughter Anne Blomstrand and children Freja and Winter Charles Blomstrand; daughter Valerie Kickham, her partner Christopher and their children Joshua Kickham, Colby Vadnais and Brooke Lussier. He also leaves his sister Maureen Buckley and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents he was predeceased by his brothers Liam, Maurice and William, his niece Olive Walker and his daughter-in-law Jennifer Kickham.

In his youth Charlie was active in drama productions, played hurling and excelled academically. He enjoyed his work with early computers, often bringing home spare parts and computers to tinker with which became a lifelong hobby. He was a man of many talents. If something was broken he'd fix it, often in his own unique way or if all else failed with a roll of duct tape. He was most proud to be called Granddad and liked to hand out lollipops and wrap gifts in the comics section from the newspaper. He enjoyed the simple things in life like summer fishing trips with his good friend Gene Forte and others, family camping trips, playing and watching golf and following professional football (not the American kind!) He enjoyed testing his knowledge while watching Jeopardy, worshiping the sunshine and walking outdoors as much as the weather allowed. He had a great love of books and was an avid reader and book collector. If he had a book, a cup of tea and a little something sweet to eat he was quite content. In his retirement he developed a passion for genealogy and worked for years to piece together his family's history, traveling to Ireland and doing countless hours of research to gather information to pass along for generations to come. He will be laid to rest with his parents and brother in St. Joseph's cemetery, Ballyphehane, Cork City, Ireland. Please join us for a celebration of life on Sunday, June 11th at noon at The Park Housegathering Room at Salmon Brook Park in Granby, CT. In his memory we ask that you please support your local library.