Charles Francis Nolfo

On Monday Feb 9th, 2026 the Nolfo family of Fairfield, CT lost their anchor, their rock, their hero, Charles Francis Nolfo, who was also known as Chip, Charlie, Chuck, Dad and GP, depending on era, blood relation, and whether you met him on land or sea. He was also a sailor, celestial navigator, traveller, adventurer, ship broker, joker, and a wizard with numbers, maps, globes and choosing wines and cuts of steak. He was born at the French Hospital in Manhattan on October 3, 1944 to RN Helene Del Tatto Nolfo and Lt. Frank Croix Nolfo, and grew up in Astoria, Queens, where he was known to insist on wearing a pressed shirt, jacket, tie and shined shoes every day, without fail, from his first-ever day of school onwards. After the death of his father in 1958, he moved to Bennington, VT to live with his mother and her parents Elvira Galante Del Tatto and Carlo Del Tatto. He attended Bennington High School (’62) where he played baseball and basketball, became an avid skier, learned classic stonemason skills from Carlo (Poppy) and helped him build the family house with his bare hands. Charlie graduated from Fort Schuyler ('67) (now SUNY Maritime), Bronx, NY where his father had taught for many years. Within days of graduation, Charlie left for Viet Nam as a Merchant Marine on the Robin Sherwood. He sailed to 5 of 7 continents, had adventures and friends at every point on the map, and took hundreds of stunning photos along the way. After life at sea, he became a land shark, working for Amerada Hess for 2 years, then Maritime Overseas/Overseas Shipholding Group for 31 years, and finally Liberty Maritime before retiring in 2015.

In 1970, he married Sandra-Ann Gates, who he had met in 1961 in Boston and reconnected with after many years on the ocean blue. They moved to Bridgeport, then New Jersey, and then Fairfield, with daughters Marlena, Jessica, and Ariane in tow. In retirement, he loved his role as GP, explaining longitude, latitude, maps, hurricanes, wind patterns, chess, American history, baseball, basketball, math, how to choose a winning racehorse and how to tie your Chuck Taylors. The highlight of his day was picking up Gioia and Beemer from school or camp every day, and being the first car in the line.

He will be missed forever by his family and friends: his loving wife of 56 years Sandra-Ann, daughters Marlena Sislian (Ted), Jessica, and Ariane (Gerome), grandchildren Hudson and Gioia, and International daughters Jenni Vuori (Ari), Raquel Leal, and Olga Yangol (Tim), and his brother-in-law Lt. Cmdr. Franklin C. Gates (Ret.), as well his very best friend (he knows who he is), his close friend Michael Bentt, his many cousins and extended family, and his dear friends and colleagues from the shipping industry in NY and around the world.

Friends may greet the family on Saturday, February 21 from 12-2pm at the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield CT. A prayer service will be held at 2pm. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any memorial contributions be sent to the Wounded Warriors Project.