Charles W. Whelan, 87, of Bristol, husband of the late Mary (Moore) Whelan whom he married on September 15, 1951, died Monday, August 9, 2010 at Sheriden Woods Health Care Center, Bristol. Charles was born in Bristol on July 12, 1923 and was a son of the late Bernard and Helen Whelan. He attended St. Joseph Grammar School and was a graduate of Bristol High School. He retired as a Captain with the Bristol Fire Department after 30 years of service. He was Past President of the Bristol Fire Department Labor Board and helped to negotiate the first union contract with the city of Bristol. Charles was a Third Generation Fire Fighter in Bristol. He was a World War II veteran serving from 1942 to 1946 in the U.S. Navy as a RM 2/c aboard the East Coast Destroyer Ships. He was a member of St. Gregory Church, Bristol, American Legion Seicheprey Post #2, the Democratic Town Committee for years, and the Bristol Senior Center. Charles and his wife Mary were an Aunt and Uncle for the Eastern Regional Little League Championship for over 15 years. Charles and Mary had four children, Colleen Radun of Ohio, Mary Ellen Vasiliauskas of Maine, and Kevin Whelan of Colorado and a deceased son, John Whelan; ten grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, son and parents, Charles is predeceased by a brother Robert Whelan and a sister, Bernice Hurlburt. Funeral services will be held on Friday, August 13, 2010, 9 AM from Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol, to St. Gregory Church for a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 10 AM. Burial with military honors will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday between 5 and 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Eastern Region Headquarters, 335 Mix St., Bristol, CT 06010. Please visit Charles' memorial web-site at www.FunkFuneralHome.com.