Charles Dunton

Charlie was born on November 26, 1940 in Norfolk, Virginia, and grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Charlie was the beloved father of Eric Dunton, Cheryl Dunton (David Hash), and Andy Dunton; grandfather to Samantha Dunton; and close friend of Patricia Dunton. Charlie developed an interest in mechanics at an early age. As a teenager, he once built an entire car engine on the floor of his small workshop behind his parents’ house. After graduating high school, Charlie joined the U.S. Navy and was trained as a flight engineer. He spent 20 years in the Navy working on aircraft and logging countless hours of flight time traveling all over the world. Charlie retired in 1979 as a Chief Petty Officer. After retiring from the Navy, Charlie worked as an auto mechanic at Cherner Lincoln Mercury in Tysons Corner, Virginia for 30 years. As a testament to his character and mechanical ability, some of Charlie’s longtime customers at the dealership brought their vehicles to his house for repairs after he retired rather than going to another mechanic. During his time in the Navy and at Cherner, Charlie spent many nights and weekends working on cars in his own garage. He developed a reputation as an honest, skilled, and dependable mechanic. In retirement, Charlie continued working on cars at home with his son Eric and enjoyed visiting with his family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the United Service Organizations (USO) online at https://www.uso.org/donate/next/?sc=WW14IMOIHO or by calling 1-800-876-7469. If you prefer to mail your donation, please send a check or money order made payable to “USO” to: USO Department WS, PO Box 96860 Washington, DC 20090-6860. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Charles Dunton please visit our Sympathy Store.