By Antigone Barton
Gulf Stream — Charles R. Carden flew around the country as an airline pilot and immersed himself in history, reading whatever accounts of centuries past he
could find.
But mostly, the Gulf Stream resident loved his life in Florida.
“He said everyday, ‘this is paradise,’ ” his wife, Sherry, remembers.
Mr. Carden, 71, died March 16 after a long illness.
Mr. Carden hailed from Louisville, Ky., where he met his wife. He became an Air Force pilot who served a stint in Vietnam. His subsequent work, as a pilot for
American Airlines, took his family to New York and Virginia.
With yearly visits of six to eight weeks for more than 20 years, however, Florida became a home away from home for more than 20 years.
The family built a home in Place au Soleil and moved here, finally, 24 years ago, joining Mr. Carden’s mother, Eloise Carden. She died five years ago.
In addition to history and fact-collecting — leading him to read the encyclopedia three separate times, according to his wife — Mr. Carden loved chess, and
played daily on his computer.
Married 50 years, he was awaiting the birth of his first great-grandchild.
Mr. Carden is survived by his wife, Sherry; daughter Cathy Thomas of Boynton Beach; daughter Cindy Docktor of Louisville; and son Charles “Bob” Carden Jr. of
Delray Beach.
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