Charles R. Lombardi Sr.

Charles R. Lombardi Sr. of Stoneham passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at his home with his family by his side. He was 88 years of age.

Born on Monday, March 23, 1936 in Cambridge, Charles was the loving son of the late Charles Lombardi and Marietta (Arenge) Lombardi. Charles is a warm, kind, gentle & loyal son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend who will be deeply missed.

Our dad (Charlie) was born in Cambridge and graduated from technical school before serving as a member of the National Guard. At the age of twenty-three, he would marry the love of his life, Ellie, affectionally called “Red.” In 1966, the two eventually purchased our family home together in Stoneham, and raised their five children with love for years to come. While bringing up his ever-growing family, he would go on to work at ITEK and Dynamics Research (DRC), which he eventually retired from.

While he may have been taught how to be an electrical engineer in classrooms, nobody needed to teach him how to provide for his family. There was not a single thing he couldn’t fix or build: houses, cars, toys, watches, or just about anything you can think of. He even constructed a backyard skating rink, complete with spotlights and speakers, for his kids to make memories on. All of this earned him the nickname Mr. Fix It. Yet, in that seemingly endless toolbox of his, the most powerful thing he possessed was his selflessness. He also took very seriously the title bestowed upon him of family photographer and videographer, loving every second of the job. In addition, he was an avid gardener, his yard an impeccable example when compared to any other.

From his green thumb stemmed a vegetable garden full of a variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, and sunflowers that were larger than life, for all of us to enjoy. Over the years, that same yard saw a collie and three huskies that would become a huge part of the family too. With lots of love to give, he never left home without a pocketful of treats to hand out. Later, he would become Papa to nine grandchildren that were his pride and joy, and of course, he loved taking pictures of them too. As he watched them all grow into thriving young adults, he was also lucky enough to have welcomed two great grandchildren. He loved being surrounded by his family, watching us, laughing with us, and certainly listening to us. Amidst all of our many memories, he was a relatively quiet man, but we knew exactly who our Dad was. He loved us fiercely and was there for all of us, all the time. He will forever be remembered as a man of many gifts, with the greatest of them being that our Mom and Dad gave us each other. We are forever grateful to have had you for almost eighty-nine years. Rest in peace, Dad, and give Mom a hug from all of us.

Charles was the beloved husband of the late Eleanor (Fitzpatrick) Lombardi. He is the devoted father of Charlie Lombardi Jr., Joel and his wife Lisa, Eleana and her late husband Sean, Michele and her husband Bob, and Greg and his wife Meredith. The cherished grandfather of Kate and her husband Brandon, Devon, Jess and her husband Josh, Melissa, Cory, Kiley and her fiancé Alex, Callie, Justin, and Colbie, Charles is also the doting great grandfather of Teddy & Jack. He was the dear brother of the late Elena and the late Rosemarie. Charles is also lovingly survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and countless friends who will truly miss him.

Family and friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories with Charles’ Family on Saturday, March 1st from 1-5pm in the Barile Family Funeral Home, 482 Main Street (RT 28) STONEHAM. Parking attendants and elevator are available.

A funeral ceremony will take place as a private, family gathering.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in Charles’ memory to Beth Israel Lahey Health at Home, 199 Rosewood Dr. Ste. 380, Danvers, MA 01923 or by referring to Beth Israel Lahey Health at Home

For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome