Mr. Charles M. Kearney

Mr. Charles Maurice Kearney, 70, of 44 Henry Ave., passed away on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after complications due to a long-term illness. Known to many as “Chuck,” he was a well-known pillar within the community. Born in Greensboro, NC on March 6, 1944, he was the only son of Maurice and Fannie Love Kearney. In his youth, Chuck was active in church, 4-H, and Boy Scouts as well as being an avid swimmer. He attended Dudley High School, where he also had a passion for football, playing on the Dudley Panthers varsity team as a linebacker. In the summer months, he used his swimming abilities as a lifeguard on the coast of North Carolina. Upon his graduation in 1962, he attended A&T University in North Carolina. During his early college years, he participated in the civil rights movement; attending sit-ins at five-and-dimes in Greensboro. Seeing the tides of history change, Charles felt formal and experiential educations were going to be essential for societal change. Mr. Kearney moved from Greensboro to New York City, via Philadelphia Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, he worked with under privileged youth as a mentor. Upon moving to New York, he was an adolescent counselor at the Floyd Patterson House for Boys (formerly Wiltwyck School for Boys). Being recognized for his strength to connect with inner-city youth, he went on to work in conjunction with Columbia University Teachers College teaching, ‘Strengths in Sensitivity Training,’ providing training for teachers who anticipated teaching within the cultural diversity of the New York school system. Mr. Kearney went on to teach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he completed his Masters of Education. He then went to work in Louisville Kentucky for the Jefferson County Board of Education, as a consultant. In 1974, he returned to Massachusetts to work as a family counselor at a neighborhood-counseling center in the former Tucker School building in Pittsfield. Mr. Kearney has remained in Pittsfield since 1974. When the Tucker School closed, he became a counselor for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health; where he remained until his retirement in 2009. During his tenure, he received his Masters of Social Work from Smith College in 1985 and was an associate in private practice. He took great pride in his work and his ability to connect and help people. Outside of work, Charles’ had an obsession for music, being an aficionado of jazz. He had an extensive jazz collection spanning multiple genres. However, he was particularly enthusiastic about listening to and watching jazz groups, attending shows at Tanglewood, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and other various venues throughout the Northeast. He also dabbled in his own musical talent by playing various percussion instruments. Other interests he held were refinishing antique furniture, woodworking, and a profound joy for good food and sharing it with family and friends. Mr. Kearney leaves his wife, the former Beatrice Benavides, with whom he had spent many wonderful years. He will also be sorely missed by his daughter, TSgt Nina E. Kearney, USAF (retired) from Spokane Washington, his grandson Private First Class Joshua M. Kearney, USMC, San Diego, California, and granddaughter Kayla C. Newton from Spokane, Washington; two sisters, Ida Teresa Kearney-Gabriel and Gladys Elizabeth Kearney-Corbitt and a nephew, Rajah Maurice Corbitt, all of whom live in Greensboro, North Carolina. Mr. Kearney also leaves countless friends who will miss him dearly, as well as those whose lives have been touched because of his efforts. Funeral Notice: Calling hours in Pittsfield, MA for Mr. Charles M. Kearney memorial service will be on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Dwyer Funeral Home, 776 North St., Pittsfield MA 01201. A Funeral Service will take place at Saint Stephen United Church of Christ in Greensboro, North Carolina on December 5, 2014 from 1230 to 2 p.m. Burial will follow at the Piedmont Cemetery also in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Mr. Charles M. Kearney

March 6, 1943 - November 19, 2014