Charles J Travers, Jr.

Mr. Charles J. Travers Jr. has recently passed away on December 14, 2021 from natural causes in Manchester, Vermont. He was a faithful and loving husband, devoted father of 3 children, a gregarious neighbor wherever he lived, former service member of the US Military, wonderfully accomplished athlete, coach and basketball official, an avid Notre Dame football and basketball fan, a caring and beloved teacher and a charismatic yarn spinner. The son of Charles Travers from Belleville, N.J. and Mary Maculatis from Lithuania, Charles was born in Montclair, N.J. on July 3, 1933. He was raised in Belleville during the depression and attended Belleville High School. He excelled in sports, particularly basketball when he captained the 1950 team to the Essex Country championship and individually earned 1st team All-State in the same year in the basketball hotbed of New Jersey of the late 1940s and was also the captain of the baseball team. He was awarded a full athletic scholarship to attend Seton Hall University and was a member of the National Championship team of 1953 and majored in education. After graduation, he entered the military and was stationed in Landtstuhl, Germany. While in the service, he played basketball for the USA National team around Europe and competed at the World’s Fair in Belgium in 1956. Upon leaving the service, he returned to the US and met his wife to be Barbara in 1959. He began his teaching career at Belleville HS where he would work for 34 years as a Physical Education/Health teacher and also as the Drivers Ed instructor. Charles was awarded “Favorite Teacher” on multiple occasions to the near embarrassment of his colleagues. While he was not teaching the students, he coached them in basketball and baseball. In baseball, he was once awarded “Coach of the Year” in the State of New Jersey and coached 1 future professional and against several others. He spent his summers as Asst. Manager of the town community pool grounds in Cedar Grove, N.J. where he excelled as a fan favorite of all of his lifeguards under his purview. His real love in sports however became officiating contests in soccer and certainly basketball. Starting at the bottom, he quickly rose through the ranks, based on merit, refereeing state playoff games in New Jersey in both sports, then into college. Eventually he turned his focus to solely basketball selected to referee at the prestigious Alhambra Classic in Cumberland, Maryland for a dozen years and then in the Big East conference from 1984-1987 which was the highlight of his officiating career working amongst future NBA players and Hall of Fame coaches. He later started and ran his own referee camps to train officials. After Charles and wife Barbara came up to Manchester in 1998 to enjoy retirement, “Jolly Charlie” stayed active in basketball locally in Manchester for several years and won a championship with his 2003 AAU team while Part Timing as the golf course ranger at The Linx at Equinox and greeting all players with a pleasant word. Charlie’s real accomplishments though came not from professional achievement but rather in his leisure time. He loved to travel with his wife to the Jersey shore and warm weather climates in winter. Going to his sons and daughters athletic contests, watching soccer, basketball and football with friends and family, following the world of horses, engaging in political conversations, and certainly being nothing short of the life of the party with friends, his surrounding community and his extended family including his adoring nieces and nephews and their children. Charlie was unrivaled in his ability to tell a compelling story. Charles was a parishioner of Christ Our Savior Parish in Manchester, Vermont. Charles is survived by his daughter Cheryl of Florida, his daughter Beth Ann of New York City, his son Chris of the Dominican Republic, and his wife Barbara (Aita) Travers to whom he was married for 60 years. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Hildene, VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region or the Michael J Fox Parkinson foundation c/o Brewster-Shea Funeral Services PO Box 885 Manchester Center, VT 05255. Memorial Services will take place at Christ our Savior Church in Manchester Center, VT at 10AM on Saturday December 18, 2021. To send the family personal condolences, please visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.