Charles "Charlie" John McOuat

“Charlie” was born June 15, 1941. He was the only son and youngest child of Dorothy Patterson McOuat and William McOuat. He had three sisters: Betty Gilmore of NH, Mary Tarver and Flora Holt of Rochester, NY.

After graduating from high school in Rochester, Charlie earned an BA degree from Tufts University, a DDS from the University of Buffalo and later an MPH degree from Boston University. He married Marilyn Willert McOuat in 1967. They had two children Robert “Rob” McOuat now of Winston-Salem, NC and Heather Bencivenga of Annapolis, MD.

He served as Captain in the US Army from 1968-1970. After serving his country, Charlie practiced dentistry in Cobleskill, NY for three years until moving to Orleans, MA, a small Cape Cod village, where he worked, sailed, swam, and enjoyed life for the next 25 years. In December 1980, Marilyn was killed by a senile, wrong-way driver on the Mid-Cape Highway. The now threesome, traveled the world and sailed the seas to deal with the mourning and recovery from his wife’s, their mother’s sudden death.

Charlie married Lorrie Hurley McOuat in 1992. They moved to Hilton Head, SC in 1997, where he immediately volunteered his services at VIM, the Boys and Girls Club, and Literacy Volunteers. He loved teaching ESL at the Literacy Center until his recent death. He loved working with immigrants from all over the world. Charlie volunteered his dentistry services twice in Haiti. He loved teaching school- four times in the West African country of Ghana, in an orphanage, and in the small, isolated village of Biakpa.

He was an avid teacher and student at Life Long Learning HHI. Charlie was a twenty-year participant in the local Toastmasters Club and one of the founding members of SCRAWL-G, a local writing group. He wrote six books of memoirs, poems, and short stories. Charlie enjoyed reading, writing, speaking, and interacting with everyone. He was a deacon and elder at First Presbyterian Church. In 2010 he survived an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his lungs that ended his volunteering in Africa. He continued traveling the world as a tourist with his beloved wife Lorrie until his recent death.

Charlie is survived by his wife Lorrie, his constant companion and best friend for over thirty-five years. He was the proud father of Rob McOuat and Heather Bencivenga who were the joy of his life. He was grateful for his in-laws, Alana McOuat, Dawna and Fred Mayerson, Brenda Sloan, and Joseph Bencivenga, as well as his grandchildren Mikey, Tate, Will, Adain, Ashlyn, and Elaine.

A memorial service for Charlie will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 2:30pm at First Presbyterian Church Hilton Head. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mitchellville Preservation Project, PO Box 21758, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925. Islandfuneralhome.com