Charles Mesrobian

Charles S. Mesrobian, age 76, left this world on Sunday, June 4th at Southern Ocean Medical Center of Manahawkin, NJ, surrounded by his family. He was born July 9, 1946 in New York City to Charles and Zabel Mesrobian, who immigrated to the United States from Armenia. At the age of 10, his family, including his younger sister, Anita, moved to Paramus, NJ. It was there in the burgeoning suburbs, where Charlie’s love of nature and animals began as he played in the woods surrounding his home. He also developed interests in music and sports. He attended music camps in middle school and played saxophone in the Paramus High School Dance Band. He lifted weights and threw shotput in high school and lettered in track. He was so determined and proficient with lifting that his friends named a weight after him – “One Mesrobian.”

After high school, Charlie worked full-time for Midland Bank in Paramus and went to college full-time at night at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His freshmen year of college, he met Carol Khitikian and fell in love immediately. They dated throughout college. During this time, Charlie discovered his love for cars and racing. He bought his first muscle car, a 1967 Plymouth GTX, in college, and after dropping Carol off from their date nights, he would go race on the Garden State Parkway between the exits without tolls.

After college, Charles and Carol married and eventually moved to Lake Hopatcong, NJ, where they would live for the next 50 years. They had three children, David, Daniel, and Dana. He was
a devoted and loving husband, father, and father-in-law to Casey Malone. Charles had two grandchildren, Miles and Madelyn Malone, and he was a beloved “Baboog” (“grandpa” in
Armenian). Charlie also had many nieces and nephews. Family was the most important thing to him.

Charles worked as a New Jersey State Bank Examiner for 33 years. He loved being in the field and traveling around New Jersey setting up shop in different banks across the state. He enjoyed finding new local places to eat with each new placement. He was a well-respected and sought-after field manager until he retired. Charles was also a veteran; he joined the National Guard in 1969 and served his country faithfully for six years.

One of Charlie’s greatest passions in life was music and he was an avid student of Bob Dylan. Charlie’s study of Bob Dylan was deeply connected to his faith, and he studied the Bible alongside Dylan for decades, always seeking the deeper spiritual lessons behind the words of both Jesus and Dylan.

When he was 33 years old, Charlie taught himself to play guitar and harmonica. He played music in his home regularly for the rest of his life; it was not uncommon to walk in and see him jamming out in his living room, amps turned up and mikes on as he belted out Dylan lyrics for the neighbors and everyone to enjoy. For a short period, he and Carol performed as a Dylan cover band, “Another Cup of Coffee.”

In 2018, for his and Carol’s 50th wedding anniversary, he bought Carol (and the family) her dream shore home on Long Beach Island. Charlie loved sitting on the beach in the late afternoon and cloudy, cool days were his favorite kind of beach day.

Charles/Dad/Baboog/Uncle Charlie was a kind, sweet, and gentle man; he was also relentless and a force all his own. To know him was to love him. His passing was unexpected, and he is missed dearly by those who knew and loved him.

A memorial gathering will take place on Saturday, July 8, 2023, from 1pm to 3pm at Maxwell-Tobie Funeral Home, 573 Mill Creek Road, Manahawkin, NJ 08050.