In Memoriam

Charles Joseph Hudson
1937-2025

COOPERSTOWN—Charles Joseph Hudson, MD, whose life served as an inspiration to friends, colleagues and family, died on July 11, 2025 after a long illness. He had recently moved to Stroudwater Lodge Assisted Living in Westbrook, Maine from Cooperstown, New York where he and his wife, Dorothy, lived for over 50 years. 

Chuck was born on June 12, 1937 in Oak Tree, New Jersey. He attended Princeton University, where he excelled in track and cross-country running. In 1959, after marrying Dorothy Underwood of East Brunswick, New Jersey, he began his medical education at McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, Quebec. After graduation he joined the U.S. Public Health Service in Alaska, working in Dillingham and Anchorage, providing medical service throughout the state, often flying by bush plane into villages. He completed advanced studies in psychiatry in Vermont, then returned to practice in Anchorage for several years before moving with his family to Cooperstown. He worked at the Bassett Hospital Schoharie County Mental Health Center, and retired as the director of the geriatric program at the Capital District Psychiatric Center in Albany. 

A longtime member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, New York, Chuck was a man of unusual depth. He was devoted to social justice and felt deep compassion for those without access to good medical care. He was a longtime advocate for a single payer healthcare system. Chuck was a devoted athlete from a young age. He was the New Jersey state mile champion in 1954. He ran his first marathon in 1972 with almost no training. He loved snowshoe racing and competed against the best snowshoers of Quebec while in Lewiston, Maine. He also loved fencing, biking, peddle boating, and was a competitive swimmer into his 80s. He and Dorothy often swam in Cooperstown’s Otsego Lake, referring to it as a sacred place. Chuck’s other passions included astronomy, amateur radio, Greek philosophy, playing baroque music and making musical instruments. His sense of humor was infectious, whether it was insightful satire or dad jokes. 

He and Dorothy celebrated 66 joyful years of marriage. Together they raised three children, Beth, Andrew and Landis. In addition to his wife and children, he leaves four granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, Maine.