Charles H. New

Charles H. New, 91, of Wilmington, NC, died Thursday, September 17, 2009 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. He was born in Emporia, Kansas on March 2, 1918, one of six children and the son of the late George Raymond and Alexa Sligh New. He began college at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in New Guinea and later participated in the Liberation of the Philippines having seen combat action. He was awarded the Bronze Star and later he was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He then returned to the University of Missouri and graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. He began a career in Electrical Engineering after college working for various companies. He than began working with major contractors involved in the Space Program in Florida from 1956 to 1968 having worked on project Mercury, project Gemini, and project Apollo. He did some work in the development of early telemetry systems. After working at various jobs in California and Kansas between 1968 to 1973, he moved to the Kansas City area in 1973, remaining there until 2004. He then moved to Wilmington in 2004. While living in the Kansas City area he returned to the hobby of Ham radio as an active amateur radio operator, an interest that had extended all the way back to his teenage years. Connected with that hobby, he actively participated in the Kansas City Chapter of the MARS network, a volunteer service organization of amateur radio operators. Other hobbies were gemstone collecting, lapidary work and coin collecting. He had a gift for teaching and will be remembered fondly by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by one brother, John C. New of Silver Spring, MD; sons, John P. New and Robert C. New both of Wilmington, NC; daughters, Elizabeth A. Stevens of Fredericksburg, VA and Dorothy M. Abraham of Wilmington, NC; six grandchildren and two great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at Andrews Mortuary Market Street Chapel by Rev. Jim Herchenhahn. The family will receive friends following the service.