Charles W. “Charlie” Hamalainen, 71, of Worcester died Tuesday, April 17th at home surrounded by his loving family. He leaves his wife of 27 years, Donna J. (Jackson) Hamalainen; a son, Matthew C. Hamalainen; a daughter, Sharon J. Guidaboni and her husband, Zachary all of Worcester; a brother, Ralph Hamalainen and his wife, Mary; two brothers in law, Philip A. Jackson of Holden and Michael J. Jackson of Seoul, South Korea and several nieces and nephews.
He was born in Worcester the son of Ralph Hamalainen and Doris Bucknam. Over the years, Charlie worked as a residential counselor and also owned and operated Central MA Janitorial. He was a member of St. John’s Church and a devout Catholic who prayed the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy every day. Charlie was a friend of Bill W. who befriended many people he met through the 12-step program. He was proud of being sober for 38 years. Charlie volunteered for many years with the prison ministry until the time of his death.
Mr. Hamalainen’s favorite pastime was watching sports with his family. He was an avid fan of the New England sports teams, particularly the Red Sox. He had a great love for his family, children, and most of all his God.
His funeral is Monday, April 23rd from O’CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue with a Mass at 10:00 AM in St. John’s Church, 40 Temple Street. Burial will follow in Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton. Calling hours are Sunday, April 22nd from 4:00 until 7:00 PM in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Food for the Poor Program, 20 Temple Street, Worcester, MA 01604 or to the Bethany House, 1049 Main Street, Millis, MA 02054 (Bethanyhouseministries.org) which is a transition program supporting prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.