The Honorable Charles F. Barrett
The Honorable Charles F. Barrett, in Canton, formerly of Milton, June 27, 2018.
Beloved husband of the late Marie P. (O’Malley) Barrett. Loving father of William C. Barrett of Norwood, Kathleen M. Barrett-Lewis of Milton, Janice Vanty Barrett of Virginia Beach, John R. Barrett of Westminster, Richard J. Barrett of Canton and James P. Barrett of Arlington. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Brother of the late Mary Hughes, Margaret Barrett, Eileen Coletta, Evelyn Hilton and Alice Donlan.
Charles was born in Cambridge, the youngest of six siblings. He is a graduate of Saint John’s High School, Boston College, class of 52′ and Boston College Law School, class of 55′. He was an active member of both the Class of 52′ and 55′ Alumni Groups. He had served BC Law as the Case Review Editor and Class President from 1953-1954. He was award the Jurisprudence Award, Creedon Award and the most important being the National Honor Society Order of the Coif. Charles was the Judicial Clerk for Associate Justice James Ronan of the Mass Supreme Court from 1955-1956 the Assistant District Attorney from 1956-1959, and a part-time BC Law School lecturer from 1957-1959. He practiced Litigation and Product Liability Law with the firm of Nutter, McClennen & Fish from 1959-1989 and was appointed the Associate Justice to the Massachusetts Superior Court by Michael Dukakis in 1989, which he served until 2000.
Charles was a proud member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Mass Bar Association, in which he served multiple committees, the Catholic Lawyers Guild and a Trustee of the Social Law Library. He was an educator for the Mass Continuing Legal Education and a lecturer for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy Program.
Locally Charles was the Milton Chairman of the Board of Appeals, between the 70s and 80s, and a Town Meeting Member. He was a member of Saint Elizabeth’s Church and reverently taught the Christian Formation classes. When he had even a moment of free time, Charles was volunteering at local homeless shelters.
Charles loved most especially spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren, having family barbecues, traveling and reading. He loved photography, working on home improvements and gardening. His favorite holiday of all was celebrating the 4th of July.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday in St. Elizabeth Church at 10 AM. Relatives and friends invited. Visiting hours at Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Ave., EAST MILTON SQUARE, Friday 4 – 8 PM. Interment Milton Cemetery.
The family sends a special thank you to Brightview Retirement Community in Canton for their kindness and support.
Guestbook Entries
We have warm memories of backyard conversations with Charlie over burn piles and other occasions. He and Marie were wonderful neighbors in Milton.
I was privileged to serve on the Superior Court with Charlie. He came to the court “fully formed” having served as an SJC law clerk, as an AUSA and having tried major cases in courts across the United States during his thirty years at Nutter.
He was an excellent judge, adept in both the civil and criminal sessions. Charlie was very productive, decisive,scrupulously fair and an excellent writer. As bright and quick as he was to grasp complex issues, he was invariably kind and gentle to all who appeared before him. These qualities made him a favorite of the trial bar and the assistant clerks, stenographers, court officers, and support personnel in every venue where he sat over the years.
Not merely a spectacular judge, Charlie was a superb man, a wonderful husband, father and friend. He and his beloved wife Marie, were an integral part of the Superior Court family and often entertained many of us at dinners and parties at his sprawling, marvelous home in Milton.
In short, Charle Barrett was a man of the highest character, a man to be emulated in all aspects of life.
Charlie Barrett was my uncle, God Father, and dear friend. I am the son of his oldest sister Mary Barrett Hughes. My first days were spent at the Sherman St., Cambridge home of his mother. My memories of my dear uncle date to the late 1940s when I was a child and Charlie was still a teenager attending St. John’s High School. I remember his chicken operation in the back yard during WWII, where the gathered eggs were used for the family and to sell to the neighbors. My mind is filled with many wonderful memories, stories of his growing up years passed on to me by his mother and sisters; and most of all, our own times of rough-housing and stern lectures concerning proper behavior. Most of all, I remember local fishing trips to Spy Pond and other near by waters, where we’d go for a few hours when he’d take a break from his law studies. Our lives have diverged since those early days on Sherman Street; but the gift of sweet memories that Charlie gave to a young nephew will be treasured to the end of my days. I forward to Charlie’s children, all family and friends, my sincerest regret and sympathy for the loss of a truly great man. PS…I still have the Red Rider BB gun that my father gave him in his early days before WWII. As we’d end our telephone conversations …God Bless You Charlie.
With Judge Barrett’s passing, we’ve lost a legal luminary as well as an individual of utmost loyalty and integrity. Judge and Mrs. Barrett remained friends of my parents, Marjorie and Jim Lynch. The Barrett/Lynch connection was both personal and professional, serving together as jurists on the Superior Court, and previously, as attorneys at Nutter, McClennen & Fish. The couples shared joyous times, as well as challenging ones. I was privileged to witness their collective example. May the Barrett family take comfort knowing how well respected and admired your parents/grandparents were and how much their friendship was appreciated.