Obituary: Charley Couch, 63, of Redding

REDDING, CT -- Longtime Redding resident Charley Couch peacefully passed away on May 15 at the age of 63.

A friend to many in the town of Redding, Charley was a fixture in town circles as an advocate for historic preservation and conservation.

Charley was born in Norwalk in 1954 and lived in Redding and California as a child before his family moved to Ontario, Canada. He returned to Redding in 1992.

Charley was instrumental in preservation efforts in the area for many years. In 1994, he undertook restoration and preservation of the barn at Heritage House and advocated for protection of Parson's Preserve, a historically significant Revolutionary War campsite. In 2015, Charley organized the Redding Rock'n Roots Revival, an Independence Day music festival featuring local musicians and fireworks that directly supports the Redding Historical Society and which has become a town tradition. Charley also organized Redding's Settler's Day Picnic in 2017 to celebrate the town's sestercentennial anniversary.

He is survived by his wife of seven years Katherine Bozzi of Wilton; son Chip of Ottawa, Ontario; daughter Mara of Okotoks, Alberta; sister Jennifer of Elko, Nevada, and grandsons Jace, Nash, and Henry.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 23 at 1 p.m. at the Redding Historical Society's Lonetown Farm Museum. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in his name can be made to The Redding Historical Society at 43 Lonetown Road, Redding, CT.