Charles Emmett Milbank Fulkerson, Jr, “Chuck,” of Newtown, passed away Saturday, November 6, at the age of 74, after a long journey with cancer. Chuck was born on June 8, 1947, in Waterbury, where he attended McTernan School. His family moved to Roxbury in 1960 and Chuck enrolled at the Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Conn. He matriculated at Stanford University, graduating in 1970. During his time at Stanford, he attended classes in Italy and also China, where he began his journalism career as a cub reporter sending articles to The Waterbury Republican American.

Upon graduation he went to work for the paper full-time and won several journalism awards. Chuck was then hired at the Wisconsin State Journal and covered the presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter. Chuck met his former wife, Jone, the mother of his children, while working at the newspaper with her. Together they returned to Roxbury, where he attended Paier School of Art and spent several years working as a freelance illustrator. Chuck eventually made a career as a promotional writer, culminating in his role as copy chief of Reader’s Digest North American Promotion in Chappaqua, N.Y. Chuck and his family moved to Newtown in 1991, where he helped establish the Newtown Historic District.

Chuck was an accomplished artist specializing in brilliantly colorful watercolor landscapes. His sketchbook acted as his diary and Chuck spent hours capturing scenes of everyday life. In his later years, Chuck found inspiration from bucolic Newtown, creating whimsical postcards and calendars featuring Newtown’s historic Main Street. His original artwork is on display in the lobby of Newtown Savings Bank. Chuck’s art and/or writing has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Railfan & Railroad, Classic Trains, Stanford magazine, and The Newtown Bee. He also wrote a book, Great American Steam Trains, published by Parragon Publishing in 2006.

Chuck was a true Renaissance man with limitless curiosity and creativity. He had a lifelong fascination with railroads, taking his family on long trips to see ever elusive freight trains and turning over his house to intricate model train displays. Chuck reveled in entertaining his friends at dinner parties; serving them cold, very dry, martinis and baking them the perfect apple pie. He adored the dogs he had throughout his life and was rarely seen around town without his four-legged companions. Chuck’s interests and hobbies were infinite — he loved the Red Sox, traveling, teaching, reading, and fly-fishing, but most of all, he loved his family.

Chuck is survived by his two beloved children, Elizabeth Jone Fulkerson and Charles Emmett Milbank Fulkerson III; and two sisters, Mary Fulkerson Hamilton and Heidi Fulkerson Pianka, along with several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, Charles Emmett Milbank, Sr, and Elizabeth Nuhn Fulkerson; as well as his sister, Martha Fulkerson Matheu.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held for Chuck on Saturday, November 13, at Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, at 1 pm.

For those that wish to honor him, please consider making a donation in his name to Smile Train, donate.smiletrain.org, or the Cancer Research Institute, cancerresearch.org/donate.