Charles Fradley passed
away Thursday, March 22, 2001 at his and Dorothy’s home in
Pembroke Pines, Florida. Charles was a good man, an honest
man, independent, a loving husband and father, a good
friend.
Charles was born in Lorain, Ohio, in 1919. He was 8 years
old when his parents divorced. He never saw much of his
father, Charles, when he was growing up. Didn’t see too much
of his mom, Clara, either. She had to work long hours to
support them. He had no brothers or sisters. Didn’t go to
church. He confided that he was well on his way on the wrong
path in life ... that is, until he met Dorothy Lavish.
He said he knew from the
beginning that this was the woman with whom he would spend
the rest of his life. He was, of course, right. He married
Dorothy in 1941, worked various jobs – including working in
the shipyards, playing the piano and singing occasionally in
clubs in Lorain. Following his mother’s death in 1949 and
driven by his desire to provide better for the family, which
by 1950 already included 6 kids, he and Dorothy took a big
risk and headed off to Florida. No money in their pocket,
six little ones piled into an old broken-down car – and a
dream of finding a good paying job as a night club
entertainer.
And he did well. Took on the
stage name of Charlie Paige, played in a number of
well-known clubs on Miami Beach, including occasional gigs
with famous singers and entertainers, including Billy
Holiday. He entertained the South Florida scene in the 50's,
60's, 70's, and into the 80's.
He never became too famous to forget to carry his rosary
with him to work. Often, between sets he would take a walk
outside and pray. Charles prayed often, and taught his
children to “talk” with God, not merely to recite prayers.
The family grew to 10 children
in Florida. There were good times, and because of his line
of work there were times when the jobs weren’t there.
Supposedly, at those times we were considered “poor”. If so,
his kids didn’t realize it. There was always something going
on at the house. He organized games and sports (playing
catch with a football on the street in front, Indian ball in
the park, track meet in the back yard....). The children
always had things to do. And kids throughout the
neighborhood liked to hang out at the Fradley house –
because their Dad made it a fun place to be.
Charles once confided in his
oldest son, Dennis, that he regretted not being able to
leave a monetary inheritance to his children. This
astonished Dennis, as it would any of the children. To this,
Dennis prepared the following tribute:
Dad I cherish
the treasure you provided us. You taught us the
important things in life: To be honest, to keep
one’s word, to accept responsibility and be
accountable. Through your example you taught us
about commitment and caring for family. About
the value of prayer, and faith in God. And
dozens of other values that guide each of us
through life. You provided an inheritance worth
far more than any amount of money.
