Charlene M. Houghton

Charlene (Charlie) Houghton passed away February 10, 2026, surrounded by her family and her priest, Rev. Heather Blais at Baystate Franklin Hospital.  Charlie was born April 24, 1953 to Veronica (Peabody) and Edward F. Kilgour and was the youngest of three children.  

She graduated from Frontier High School and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.  At college she met her husband, Stephen Houghton, in her Freshman year and they married the following November.  Together they had three children, Joshua, Patrick and Sara, while completing Charlie’s degree and moving to Illinois where Steve was stationed in the Air Force.  On returning to New England they settled briefly in South Deerfield and then Greenfield.

Charlie’s career included Executive Director of the United Way in Franklin County and later the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education which she left to partner with Steve in founding FireFact Investigations.  Together they operated FireFact until its closing in 2020.  Following the closure, Charlie’s love and concern for children brought her to work as an Instructional Assistant at Four Corners Elementary and Four Rivers Charter schools.

Her faith and her concern for those less fortunate than she lead her to be an active and faithful participant in her church.  She and her husband were a presenting couple for Marriage Encounter for nearly twenty years.   At St James and later St James and Andrew Episcopal Church she was a member of the Vestry, Pastoral Care, Altar Guild, Altar Server, Usher, Lay Eucharistic Minister, and Lay Preacher.  She and her husband founded and participated in Emmaus Companions, a ministry of companioning with those less fortunate in and around Greenfield.

Charlie loved the ocean and particularly the Wells/Ogunquit area of Maine.  She also loved the mountains and Mt. Greylock in particular where she and her husband met.  The outdoors was her place to walk and relax no matter where she was.

She was predeceased by her parents and her brother Edward Francis Kilgour Jr.

She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Stephen; two sons, Joshua and his wife Michelle of Lovell, ME; Patrick and his wife Paula of Titusville, NJ; and a daughter Sara and her husband Eric of Bernardston.  She is also survived by nine grandchildren; Alex, Matthew, Cody, Kelly, Elizabeth and Tyler of Bernardston and Greenfield; Isaac and Ezra of Lovell, ME; Zelda of Titusville, NJ, and her sister Judith Houde (husband Richard) of Naples, Florida. 

A memorial service will be held on April 18, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Sts James and Andrew Episcopal Church followed by a reception in the parish hall.  Disposition of Charlie’s remains will be private at the convenience of the family.

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