Taftsville, VT – Charles “Charlie” Lander Wilson, 75
Charles “Charlie” Lander Wilson, 75, former owner of the Taftsville Country Store and longtime Vermont resident, died on October 29, 2026, in Loule Hospital, Portugal.
Charlie was born on March 18, 1951, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Robert E. “Bob” and Mary Lander Wilson. His early childhood was spent mostly in Westfield, New Jersey, where he attended public schools, climbed trees, played with the neighborhood kids, and tortured his little sister, Anne. In 1965 the family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father worked for Esso. Two years later, Charlie was sent to Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, for his last two years of high school. He then headed west to Occidental College in Los Angeles, graduating in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.
Although Charlie dreamed of becoming a writer, securing a paycheck took precedence. He embarked on a career in retail with the May Company in Los Angeles, working his way up to Buyer for the Young Men’s Department. In 1981, he married a colleague, Stephanie Schmurack; they later divorced. In 1988, Charlie moved to Quechee, Vermont, where his parents had a second home.
Wanting very much to be his own boss, Charlie purchased the Taftsville Country Store in 1990. The store sold general groceries to the small local population and also ran a thriving mail-order business specializing in Vermont foods. As the only business in the hamlet, it made Charlie the unofficial “Mayor of Taftsville,” and the store became the one place where lost dogs, kittens, and children were often dropped off for later collection. Over the years, he became deeply involved with local nonprofit groups, including the Woodstock History Center.
In December 1992, friends held a dinner party to introduce Charlie to a blind date, Liza Fuller. Eleven months later, on November 13, 1993, they were married in South Woodstock, Vermont. For many years they lived over the store, eventually moving to a house up Happy Valley Road. After 20 years as owner, Charlie retired and sold the store around 2010.
Charlie credited his parents, who had retired to Spain, with planting the seed for his own retirement abroad. As Vermont winters grew icier and the grass seemed to grow higher overnight, he and Liza decided to move to the Algarve region of Portugal, which they did in April 2019. He very quickly adjusted to the warm and sunny climate (similar to the temperate climate of Southern California) and engaged in the hobbies and interests afforded to someone who enjoyed the fruits of retirement: playing his guitar, enjoying weekly strategy war games on line with friends back in the states, traveling throughout Portugal and Europe with Liza and fellow American ex-pats who have become close friends.
In 2025, Charlie was diagnosed with melanoma that later spread to his lungs. He faced his illness with optimism, courage, and determination, but unfortunately, Charlie did not survive the last treatment phase.
A Celebration of Life was held on November 4, 2026, at the Crematorium in Faro, Portugal. His ashes will be buried at a later date in the Taftsville Cemetery.
He will be greatly missed by his wife, Liza Fuller Wilson, of Tavira, Portugal; his sister, Anne, and her partner, Mike, of Pasadena, California; his nephew, Josh Gong; and numerous cousins and friends in America. He was predeceased by his parents, Mary and Bob Wilson who have both been put to rest in the Taftsville Cemetery.
Memorial contributions in Charlie’s name are welcome and may be made to the Woodstock History Center (https://www.woodstockhistorycenter.org/give).
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