Charles Anthony Marotta, 89, of Dartmouth, a devoted soldier, skilled craftsman, and one-of-a-kind personality, passed away on March 1, 2023. He was the husband of Kathleen A. (O'Leary) Marotta.

Born on April 21, 1933, in Detroit, Michigan, to Samuel Marotta and Mary Evans Marotta, Charles grew up with his siblings-Prudence, Bernie, Gina, Gene, Jimmy, and Jack. He served 20 years in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Vietnam and one in Korea, and also served in the Navy. He jumped from helicopters in the army and was a mechanic, he worked with his hands, and lived life on his own terms.

Charles spent several years in Alaska, where he once had a pet moose named Tags-and more importantly, where he met the love of his life, his wife Kathleen. They built a life together grounded in resilience, humor, and deep devotion. Eventually, they settled in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where he lived for the last 45 years of his life.

He was a true jack-of-all-trades-a talented carpenter and mechanic who could build or fix just about anything. He constructed a garage by himself in his 70s and was still climbing ladders well into his 80s. No one was allowed to work on his car until he'd had a shot at fixing it himself.

For a time, he was the local ice cream man and ran a food trailer at fairs, selling sno-cones, cotton candy, clam cakes, and fried dough. He loved making food for people, especially Italian meals and homemade apple pie.

He built a treehouse for his daughter and passed down everything he knew about self-reliance, standing up for yourself, and doing things the right way. One of his favorite sayings was, "Keep your head down and your powder dry."

Charles had a sharp sense of humor, loved game shows, and always left his tools scattered around. He had a deep love for dogs-especially Boston Terriers-and a gift for telling stories that only got better with time.

He is survived by his daughter, Kara, and her partner Monica; his grandchildren Cree and Christopher; and his great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son John.

Charles will be remembered as strong-willed, independent, and full of character. His legacy lives on in the lessons he taught, the things he built, and the love he gave. He will be deeply missed.

In accordance with his wishes, Charles was cremated and will be buried at St. Mary's Cemetery with his wife, Kathleen, in a burial service with Military Honors to be held Monday, April 7, 2025 at 12 Noon. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.