Janice Ann Curry Charles

Janice Ann Curry Charles passed away peacefully on January 18, 2022, after a period of health challenges. Born April 7, 1934 in Scranton, Pennsylvania and raised in Pittston, PA and Boston, MA (in the summers), Janice attended College Misericordia in Dallas, PA where she received her B.A. in English and Social Studies. She dreamed of traveling the world, expanding her horizons and nourishing her sharp intellect and curiosity. After graduation, she landed in Annapolis, Maryland where she taught World History at Brooklyn Park High school. While in Annapolis, a chance encounter at the Woolworth's counter with a handsome midshipman, Richard Noel Charles, changed the course of her life. They married the following year in June 1957 and set off on their world adventures. A Navy wife for 30 years, she lived throughout the continental United States as well as Hawaii, and spent five years abroad in Sardinia and Rome, Italy. While in Hawaii, she pursued studies at the University of Hawaii in East Asian and Russian Intellectual History. Throughout her life, while raising four daughters, she taught grammar, literature, history and art history at the secondary education level in public, private, defense department and international schools. When she taught in Rome in 1985 at the St. Stephens International School, she shared she never felt more at home then walking among the historic monuments of the Forum and the Coliseum. A passion for art history and literature would shape the latter half of her career as a docent. She worked in that capacity at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT, the Brandywine River Museum in Chadd's Ford, PA, the Edmonton-Alston House in Charleston, SC, the Mobile Museum of Art, and the Gulf Coast Exploreum where she researched material for the 2007 Pompeii exhibit. One of her most memorable achievements was as director of the Veteran's History Project as part of the Library of Congress initiative, in cooperation with the Fairhope Public Library. A weekend trip to Fairhope, AL in 1973 ignited an interest that landed the Charles' there twenty years later. They found beauty and grace in this special, creative community by Mobile Bay and spent the last 30 years of their "retired" life enjoying its beauty and charm. Janice was proud of her four daughters Anne Richelle Charles of Salt Lake City, UT, Kendra Charles Garrett (William) of Huntsville, AL, Kimberly Noelle Charles of San Francisco, CA and Nicole Charles Malks (Alan) as well as her only grandchild, John Cameron Malks of Katy, TX. She was preceded in death by her husband Captain Richard Noel Charles, USN and her sons Christian and John. Services will be held at St. Francis at the Point on Saturday, April 2nd at 10 AM. Janice will be inurned at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD in June in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, as a lifelong lover of animals, please consider a contribution to either the Baldwin Humane Society or the Mid Florida Sheltie Rescue.