Charles Hildreth
Mystic — Charles Louis “Charlie” Hildreth passed away peacefully surrounded by family March 19, 2024. Our hearts are heavy with the passing of our wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend. Charlie is survived by his sister, Camilla Cesarini of Massapequa, N.Y.; his son Ross Hildreth of New Jersey; his daughter Mary Hildreth Moynihan and husband Jeff Brown and their children, Katie and Maureen, of Sharon, Mass.; his son Timothy Weber, wife Julie and their children, Megan, Max and Adam of Newtown; and his daughter Amy Weber Keough, husband Daniel and their children, Madeline and Thomas of Stow, Mass. Charlie also leaves behind beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.
Charlie was born Nov. 10, 1932, in Southampton, N.Y., where he was raised. He enjoyed working at the family store, E. A. & H. Hildreth Inc. Department Store, during his summers. The store is America’s oldest continuously run department store, est. in 1842. Charlie attended Cornell University for his undergraduate degree. Following graduation, Charlie was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he was trained in the use of Morse Code for a period at Fort Devens in Massachusetts, and was then stationed in Germany. He enjoyed traveling around Europe during his two years of service. At the end of his enlistment, Charlie attended the Wharton School of Business on the G.I. Bill where he received his MBA in marketing. Charlie worked for many years at General Foods as a market research director before finishing his career by starting his own business called the Noroton Consulting Group alongside his wife Jane.
Charlie was predeceased by his wife, Jane Mullen Weber Hildreth. They were married for 42 years before her death in 2022. Charlie and Jane enjoyed many adventurous years together in Darien. They were avid sailors and enjoyed many years as members of the Norwalk Yacht Club and as members of the Corinthians Association, sailing up and down the East Coast and the Caribbean. They also loved skiing and attending operas, classical music concerts and the theater with friends and family. Charlie himself was a musician. He played the piano and harpsichord for many years as part of a quartet that performed amateur concerts around the Mystic area. Charlie and Jane relished many years of raising their four children and loving their seven grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Stoneridge Senior Living Community in Mystic. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to the Stoneridge Scholarship Fund,186 Jerry Browne Road, Mystic, CT 06355. Please include “In Memory of Jane and Charlie Hildreth.”