Charles “Charley” Edward Parker of St. Augustine, Florida died Oct. 16, 2016 at the Bailey Hospice Center five days after his 87th birthday.

Charley was born in Rockville Centre, New York on Oct. 11, 1929. He was the son of Ralph C. Parker and Mildred H. Parker. He grew up on Long Island and in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

After a year at the University of New Mexico, he joined a team of divers who were under Navy contract at Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California to write the tables of ascent and descent for the new invention of Jacque Costeau, the aqua lung. He was the third man to go below 200 feet. Costeau, was the first, then the head of the dive team was second and then Charley. As a result of repeated dives the men suffered the bends, which caused health problems in future years. The tables the team wrote are still used today.

Charley joined the Army in 1951 and served as a reconnaissance scout in Korea. He flew over 22 missions in a T-6 Texan plane, barely making it back several times due to enemy fire. He was honorably discharged in 1954 and returned east to New York and to attend college.

In 1956 he married Patricia Edna Hall of Wantagh, New York. In 1959 he joined the Physical Oceanography Department of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as a physicist, studying ocean currents all over the world, traveling to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, South America, Russia, Italy and England. In 1978 he and Pat moved to Maine when he joined Bigelow Laboratory of West Boothbay Harbor, Maine as their physical oceanographer. There he studied the currents and eddies of the Gulf of Maine and cold water upwelling’s.

He retired in 1984 and was busier than ever in his big, fully equipped barn in Boothbay. He built wood strip canoes and three dimensional copper weather vanes, the largest of which was a seven-foot, gold leafed leaping horse for the top of a carousel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Charley was “jack of all trades” and could make and repair anything. A friend once said “If Charley Parker can’t fix it, it’s broke.”

In 1996 they became snow birds dividing their time between Maine and St. Augustine, which they fell in love with. They became volunteers at the Council on Aging, delivering Meals on Wheels which he enjoyed immensely. In 2004 they moved here permanently.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Pat; son, Jeffrey Hall Parker and wife Susie of Harrison, Tennessee; daughter, Christine Elizabeth Rogers and husband Jim of Brookline, Vermont; daughter, Susan Parker Richerson of St. Augustine; grandson, Joshua Duke (Christina) of Wellford, South Carolina; grandson, Charley Duke (Amanda) of West Dummerston, Vermont; great-grandson, Lucas; brother, Paul Parker (Desy); niece, Ann Parker Kinnebrew of Gainesville, Florida.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Robert, and infant grandson, Jared Duke.

The family would like to thank all the nurses at Flagler Hospital and the Bailey Center for all the tender care and comfort they gave Charley. He was a loving father and friend, known for his sense of humor.

Friends are invited on Wednesday, Oct. 26, to come, share memories of Charley and have a glass of wine at River House from 4 to 6 p.m.

As per wishes, he was cremated and will be buried privately at a later time in the National Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida.

Flowers are gratefully declined, if desired please make a donation in Charley’s name to the COA or to S.A.F.E., where he adopted his beloved cat, Zira whom he nicknamed Zippy.