Friend, Charles Arthur, 85, of Boca Raton passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio; Charles retired after 38 years with NY Telephone and BellSouth. He was a lifetime member of the Masonic Lodge and an honorary member of Pompano Beach Professional Firefighters, local 1549. He leaves behind his best friend and wife of over 63 years, Betty L. Friend; he was a devoted and proud father of Rick (Lisa) Friend of Long Island, NY; Cathy (Paul) Russo of Cincinnati; and Scott (Gayle) Friend of Boca Raton. He was the cherished grandfather of Kerri, Seth, Heather, Blythe, and Kyle. Visiting hours will be held from 2-4pm and 6-8pm on Friday, November 21, 2008 at Babione Funeral Home (West Chapel, 561-483-9500), Boca Raton. Charles was the town's beloved "Santa Claus"; in this spirit consider in lieu of flowers, donations to the Broward Children's Center, attn: Foundation, 200 S.E. 19th Avenue, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 in memory of Charles A. Friend.