TOPSHAM — Charles “Chick” Moisan Carroll died on June 1 at his home in Topsham, Maine, surrounded by family. He was 84 years old. His wife, Ann, said that, after a long illness, he voluntarily stopped eating and drinking.

Chick was born August 1, 1940, in Amesbury, Massachusetts to Marc and Geraldine Moisan Carroll. His childhood years were spent mostly in Newbury, Massachusetts. Following elementary and middle school education in local schools, he attended Governor Dummer Academy (now known as Governor's Academy), a private high school, on a scholarship. Subsequently, he was admitted to Princeton University on a scholarship sponsored by U.S. Rubber (subsequently Uniroyal).

Following graduation as a member of the Class of 1962 with a Bachelor's degree in History, Chick worked for Uniroyal for six years as Assistant to the Secretary in New York and Connecticut.

During the Johnson Administration, and living in Washington, DC, Chick joined the U.S. Bureau of the Budget in the Executive Office of the President, where he was responsible for the oversight and budgetary control and management of the Federal Aid Highway Program. He then took a job as Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Following this assignment, he served as Special Assistant to the Administrator of the Urban Mass Transit Administration.

Following his public sector service, Chick joined DGA International, a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., as “number two” to the founder. One of the major accomplishments of DGA in which Chick was intimately involved was securing landing rights at New York’s Kennedy Airport and Washington Dulles Airport for the British and French Concorde supersonic jets. He ultimately flew on one of the very first Concorde flights between New York, Washington, D.C. and Paris.

In 1976, Chick, with his first wife, Connie, moved his family to Maine where they purchased Raspberry Island in Port Clyde Harbor. The family lived in an unheated house on the island during the summer months and rented a home in Rockland during the winter months. During this time, Chick developed a lobster business that specialized in shipping live lobsters to Europe.

In 1977 after selling the lobster business, the family moved to Camden. Here Chick founded Realty Development Group which specialized in the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and the development of elderly and low-income housing in the area.

While living in Camden, Chick's Realty Development Group also undertook the development of two major residential communities in Florida. The first one, named Safety Harbor Club, included approximately 100 residential units on North Captiva Island. The second project, named Boca Bay, on Boca Grande Island, consisted of approximately 300 residential units. On this project Chick acted as a subcontractor to CSX Corp, which spearheaded the development.

In 1984, Chick, with his second wife, Ann, moved their family to Freeport, Maine; the offices of Realty Development Group were moved to the Old Port section of Portland. While there, Chick was instrumental in the creation of Post Office Park at the corner of Exchange and Middle Streets.

In 1991, Chick created Whitetail Resort, a ski area on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border, about 100 miles west of both Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Whitetail Resort subsequently received an award from Ski Magazine for the environmentally sensitive aspects of its design. Chick took on the role of general operations manager for Whitetail; he and Ann lived and worked at the resort for the ski seasons of 1991-1994. In 2019 Whitetail Resort was acquired by Vail Resorts.

In 1995, having secured his Maine Guide license, Chick opened a sea kayak guiding business in Freeport with his wife, Ann, also a Maine Guide.

In 1998, having sold their home in Freeport, Chick and Ann bought a one-of-a-kind steel-hulled sailboat, named Far Horizons, which had been built in South Africa and sailed to the U.S. They lived full-time on the boat for five years, sailing south to the Bahamas each winter and returning north to Maine each summer.

In 2001, having attended courses at The Shelter Institute in Woolwich, Maine, Chick, Ann and his son John built a new home on the banks of the Androscoggin River in Topsham.

In 2005, at the age of 65, Chick enrolled in the Bangor Theological Seminary. Upon completion of the program, he was named a deacon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brunswick and became a member of the Protestant denomination of the Franciscan Order, which is known for its ministry to the poor. During this time, Chick also served as Chaplain at Parkview Hospital in Brunswick.

In 2010, Chick and two friends founded The Gathering Place, a day shelter and warming center for the impoverished and homeless populations in the Brunswick area. It currently welcomes 80-100 guests per day who receive generous support. Chick continued his volunteer work at the Gathering Place almost right up to the time of his passing.

Additionally in 2010, Chick and Ann opened an air B&B next to their home in Topsham, which Ann continues to operate to this day.

Over a long life of many undertakings and adventures, Chick enjoyed hiking, skiing and sailing with friends and family. He captained his Fast Passage 39-foot cutter, Grey Wolf, in two Bermuda races.

Chick is survived by his second wife, Ann, his first wife, Connie Perret of Camden; his brother, John of Norwich, Vermont; his children, Allison of Brunswick, John of Westbrook, Marcus of Bath, England, and Melany of Freeport, as well as eight grandchildren: Miles, Rosie, Connor, Ian, Hillary, Baxter, Diego and Maizie.

A celebration of Chick’s life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Gathering Place, P.O. Box 171, Brunswick, ME 04011.