BRUNSWICK—Charles (Sonny) Bruce Ferguson, 80, of Brunswick, ME passed away on Tuesday, April 26th, 2022, from complications due to Atrial Fibrillation and Congenital Heart Disease. If you read no further, know that he was proud to say that he "never used an ATM, never had an iPhone, and never had a Facebook account." He was an old soul, a Renaissance man and fiercely proud of his simple way of life. Chuck was born on November 5th, 1941, to Charles Jr. and Martha Ferguson in Vincennes, Indiana. He spoke often of his childhood and growing up as one of five children to parents who had lived thru the Great Depression. It was this upbringing that likely influenced his lifelong code of living simply. One of his most-shared childhood memories was of being given the gift of a library card at the Vincennes Public Library—and having an entirely new world opened to him. He was a voracious reader as a result. Chuck graduated from Vincennes High School. He'd often spin yarns about how he was the skinny, smart kid who was picked on for not fitting in as an athlete and found solace in his studies. He attended Vincennes University for a short time before being drafted into military service at the start of the Vietnam War. Despite several commendations for his intelligence and aptitude, in all honesty Chuck would say that he deplored his time in the military and was at heart a pacifist. For a man that would carefully take spiders outside than kill them, he was ill-suited for wartime service. Chuck was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1968 and proceeded to enroll in California State University from which he graduated in 1974 with a degree in Anthropology. Family was everything to Chuck. His three sisters Judy Eagleson, Linda Swingley (now deceased), Pam Smith and his brother Ron were woven into the fabric of countless stories he would share about his childhood. While his siblings remained in Indiana, Chuck followed the greatest love of his life—Judy Frost—to Maine. He married Judy in the late 70s, and together they built a simple life on the old Rush farm in Brunswick where they raised their two children, restored the farmhouse, worked the land, and cared for countless animals (including a set of very protective geese that were known for terrorizing passers-by). In addition to his siblings Chuck is survived by his daughter Amy Ferguson of Bath and Allison Lantieri and her husband Chris and two grandchildren, James, and Ella of Brunswick. Chuck would brag endlessly about Amy and Allison's work ethic, his son-in-law Chris' ability to fix anything, his grandson James' math mind and his granddaughter Ella's athleticism. In the last year and a half since Allison returned home, the group would have family dinner together every Sunday night during which they would play cards and watch Jeopardy (and Chuck would beat them all soundly at both). Chuck would repeatedly say that land was the greatest asset a man could have, and the greatest gift he could give. Quite possibly, his greatest pride was the 24 acres he and Judy purchased on Coombs Road, and when he gave a portion of his land to Allison and she moved her family home to Maine and built her house on the farm, his dream of keeping the family together on the land was achieved. A lover of history and fascinated by President Lincoln, the Civil War and Gettysburg in particular— Chuck began picking antiques soon after his move to Maine. While most people have portraits of their family members hanging in their home, the living room on the farm was filled with portraits of Lincoln and daguerreotypes of unknown Civil War soldiers. While Chuck gave (as he would say) countless and precious years to Bath Iron Works as a carpenter, he also focused on building what would become a thriving and notable antiques business with a twenty-year storefront in Bath under the shingle "Pollyanna's Antiques" and online on eBay. Judy ran the business and Chuck picked. He was a giant among pickers on the Midcoast and was known affectionally by his daughters as the "Big Time Dealer." Chuck would relish sharing how he beat out other pickers at Monstweag and the like for items that "no one knew" the real value of. One favorite story of Chuck's was about the time when his daughter knew that Antiques Roadshow was coming to town. Allison asked her dad to send her something irresistible, and minutes upon entering, the producers picked her out for the show due to an incredibly rare Civil War drinking gourd he had provided her. Even today—thirteen years after Judy's passing, Chuck was still maintaining a thriving space and two cabinets at Cabot Mill Antiques and had items priced and ready to go at the time of his death. Chuck was a lover of the outdoors. He spoke often of backpacking through the Grand Canyon in his youth. He loved all animals and as a result took in every stray cat and dog that found its way to the farm. He had a love affair with all manner of wildlife, but especially birds, which he fed black oil sunflower seeds and thistle every day of the year. He enjoyed kayaking with Amy on the Cathance River, lazily paddling for hours in the quiet and splendor. Chuck was not a religious man and would often tell his daughters that the closest he felt to spiritual was when he was outside working on his incredible heirloom vegetable garden which was the pride of the neighborhood and "organic since 1984." He also viewed stacking and hand-splitting wood as a great form of meditation and exercise—which he did every year for more than 40 years. No matter how cold the winter, or how much snow he had to trudge through, firewood remained his preferred source of heat. At the time of this writing, six cords were recently dropped next to his garden, which have become an ironic last gift for his daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren to share stories about Grandpa while they work to stack it in what would have been in Chuck's mind, "the right way." Chuck was fiercely independent, a champion of the common man, an avid reader, a sometimes guitar player, a renowned antiques collector, a Civil War historian, an heirloom vegetable gardener, a talented carpenter, and a lover of all creatures great and small. He lived very simply and would be the first to help anyone in need. Most of all he was a great Dad to Allison and Amy, and he will be deeply missed. His children are working to plan a celebration of life on the farm in August. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Salvation Army in his name. "You may be looking for someone / Someone may be looking for you / Someday you'll awaken and open your eyes / And love will be looking at you." -- John Prine At this time, there are no services planned. Condolences and fond memories may be shared at www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com Arrangements are under the direction of Stetson's Funeral Home & Cremation Care 12 Federal St. Brunswick, 725-4341.