Charlene A. (Dragon) Colgan

Charlene Anne (Dragon) Colgan
Loving mother, daughter, and sister

Charlene Anne Colgan (née Dragon), 63, passed away peacefully at her home in Belmont, Massachusetts on Saturday, September 26th, 2020, surrounded by her family. Charlene navigated the past eight months of her cancer treatment with the quiet strength, grace, and generosity of spirit for which she was known and loved.

Charlene was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on June 29th, 1957 to the late Eugene L. Dragon and Eugenia (Gonsalves) Dragon. She was raised in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, along with her four beloved siblings. Her most cherished childhood memories included family trips to Round Hill Beach in South Dartmouth and visits with her maternal grandmother, Emilia. Charlene graduated from Dartmouth High School in 1975 and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 1979, where she received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After college, she worked her way up in management at the men's clothing retailer Chess King, eventually serving as District Manager for 13 stores across northern New Jersey. After taking time away to raise her children, Charlene found a new professional home in K-12 schools in Florida and then Massachusetts. Her most recent position was as the All-School Receptionist at Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N) in Cambridge, MA. The faculty, staff, and students of BB&N were Charlene's second family. She derived immense joy from getting to know the families and students and supporting them at school plays, musical performances, and graduations.

While she took great pride in her professional life, Charlene considered motherhood her true vocation. Her proudest achievements were her three children—Courtney, Christopher, and Jaclyn. To know Charlene was to know her children, and her love for them knew no limits. Charlene was married to Walter Colgan for 24 years and, together, they raised their children in Chester, NJ and Sarasota, FL. After 16 years in Sarasota, Charlene returned to Massachusetts in 2016 in order to be closer to her three children. The past four years were filled with love and laughter, memories around New England with her family, and countless hours at Boston College with her children. In her spare time, she loved to walk, swim, laugh, and spend time in the sunshine and at the beach. Above all, she loved being in the company of her family and friends. Charlene's faith was a central part of her life and, most recently, she was a communicant of the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Charlene will be remembered for her warmth, tenderness, and affection for life. She was easily moved by the world around her and found joy in the ordinary—a sunny day, photographs of her family, the sound of her children's laughter. Her family will forever find her in the sunshine and the comfort of a warm embrace.

Charlene is survived by her three children, Courtney A. Colgan, Christopher W. Colgan, and Jaclyn E. Colgan, all of Greater Boston; a sister, Maria E. Cantor of Needham, MA; two brothers, Peter Dragon of Westport, MA and Steven E. Dragon of Sarasota, FL; three nieces and nephews, Kristen, Emma, and Charley; and five great-nieces and -nephews. Charlene is predeceased by her brother, Paul Dragon, who passed away in 1989, and her nephew, Adam Dragon, who passed away in 2015.

Family and friends will honor and remember Charlene's life by gathering for calling hours on Thursday, October 1st from 5 to 8 p.m. in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham. Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, 28 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill on Friday, October 2nd at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Newton Cemetery & Arboretum, Newton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charlene's honor to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, of which Charlene was a lifelong patron
https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Walk/Walk?px=5276897&pg=personal&fr_id=122549