Fifth Generation

36. Carlos Antonio (Charlie) LAGOS BESTEIRO^57,121 was born on 16 Jan 1918 in New York, NY, USA. He was baptized about Feb 1918 in New York, NY, USA. Godparents: Carlos from Cortina and ??. He was educated at St. Mary's High School and graduated in Jun 1938 in Paterson, Passaic, NJ, USA. He was educated at St. Bonaventure's College and studied pre-Med (chemistry) between Sep 1938 and 1940 in Olean, NY, USA. He was an instrument technician at Wright Aeronautical Co. in Fair Lawn, NJ, USA between 1940 and 1943. (Although based in Fair Lawn, his work encompassed various facilities at different locations). He served in the US Army between Nov 1943 and Nov 1945¹²¹ Following basic training at Fort Dix, he moved on to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. (Interesting story: when his sister Carmen wired him that "the baby is doing fine", referring to his niece Dolores Ball, he used the wire to get a leave to visit home (as there was no name on the wire, he did not discourage the assumption that the baby was his). When his own son Charlie Joe was born 4 ½ months later, eyebrows were raised at the second paternity leave [which he got anyway]).

He went to England in 1944, crossing over to Le Havre, France, later in the year. From there, he was transported to Rohan (sp?), France, in a "40 plus 8" boxcar (named for the fact that it could fit 40 people or 8 horses). Moving on to Luxemburg, he continued East and was part of the liberation of Strakonice, Czechoslovakia (as a card commerating the event says, "from German bestiality".) He returned via Frankfurt, and from there to "Chesterfield", one of the so-called "cigarette camps", before returning home on the Queen Mary in the fall of 1945.

He was a Supervisor, Instrument Maintenance and Installation, at Celanese Corporation in Newark, Essex, NJ, USA from 1946 to 1965.¹²¹ (Final year unknown; sometime in the 1960s.) He was a Boy Scout Leader from 1953 in Glen Rock, NJ, USA.¹²¹ (Final date unknown.) He began as a Cub Master when his son became a cub scout in 1953. He became a Scout Master in 1959 (Glen Rock Troop 13). He was the President of the Ridgewood-Glen Rock Boy Scout Council, 1971 to 1973. In 1977 he received the Silver Beaver award, the highest award a civilian Boy Scout leader can get. He was an Instrument Design Engineer at Graver Water Conditioning Division of Ecodyne in Union, NJ, USA between 1965 and 1981.¹²¹ (Start year unknown; sometime in the 1960s.)

He was a City Councilman in Glen Rock, NJ, USA between 1969 and 1975.¹²¹ He was a Treasurer of the NW Bergen County Sewer Authority in Waldwick, NJ, USA between 1971 and 1973.¹²¹ He resigned this position to accept his appointment to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. He was a Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioner in New Jersey between 1973 and 1985.¹²¹ He was appointed in 1973 by Gov. Cahill, reappointed in 1977 by Gov. Byrne, and again in 1981 by Gov. Kean. He was a Republican District County Committee Chairman in Bergen County, NJ, USA about 1975. He was the Mayor between 1976 and 1983 in Glen Rock, NJ, USA. He was a Deputy Administrator, Bergen County in Hackensack, NJ, USA between 1981 and 1991. He died on 9 Jul 1998 in Ridgewood, NJ, USA.

Perhaps a fitting description of Charlie Lagos's participation in the life of his community is a caption from a picture on page 2 of the September 10, 1972 Sunday News: "Glen Rock's Councilman Charles Lagos, whose watchword is 'involvement' whether in politics or Boy Scouts, reflects his enjoyment of people and his pleasure in being able to help correct unhappy situations."

From the family perspective, Dolores BALL (Carr) wrote in 1992, "To Uncle Charlie, whose unique brand of humor has had all of us laughing and cringing at the same time. . . Thanks to his scouting, he believes all days start at the crack of dawn, which probably helps to explain how he has been able to accomplish so much."

Carlos Antonio (Charlie) LAGOS BESTEIRO and Lillian May LUTZ were married on 31 Aug 1940 in Paterson, Passaic, NJ, USA.⁶⁵ They were married in St. Mary's Rectory (married in the rectory because in those days, Catholics who married Protestants were not allowed to get married in the church itself). Josephine LAGOS BESTEIRO / NASPINSKI remembered that "Uncle Manny was the best man and when they were about to be married by Msgnr. MC GUINESS, he asked for the ring and no one had it, and Aunt Vicky had to go back home to get it. After the wedding Uncle Manny got a lot of kidding about it."

Carlos Antonio (Charlie) LAGOS BESTEIRO and Lillian May LUTZ had the following children:

+83	i.	Geraldine (Gerry) LAGOS.
+84	ii.	Charles Joseph (Charlie Joe) LAGOS.