Charles H. Linehan III

Charles Henry Linehan III, Charlie or Buddy to most, “Dad” and “Grampy” to the luckiest, of Cambridge and Waltham, MA. died peacefully on May 4, 2026, after a very long and successful battle with pulmonary fibrosis, which later turned to an aggressive metastatic lung cancer, just shy of his 79th birthday.

Born in Cambridge to Charles H. Linehan Jr. and Elizabeth “Betty” Linehan, Charlie was a third-generation Cambridge police officer. He received a Master's in Criminal Justice, and shared his detective skills with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on various drug and bank-robbery task forces. After retirement, he became the bar manager at the Marsh Post in Cambridge, where he loved to spend time. 

Charlie is survived by his wife, Irene (Benham), his daughter, Kelly Linehan (Noah Solomon), his sons Charles H. Linehan IV (Katie McGee), and David J. Linehan (Andrea Biagioni). He is the beloved “Grampy” to seven good-looking, treasured grandchildren: Sylvia, Annabel, Corey, Darcy, Whitley, David Jr., and Charles Joseph. He is also survived by his four siblings, Jane Costello (the late Paul Costello), the Reverend Stephen J. Linehan, Sheila Linehan (Jim Saunders), and James Linehan (Ann McCarthy), as well as many cousins and friends, particularly Richard Linehan and Kathy Linehan, nieces and nephews.

Charlie loved the beach, particularly his family vacations in South Yarmouth and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. He taught everyone how to swim. He knew every street name and location in Metro-West Boston by heart. He always knew a guy who could fix anything, though not always with legitimate skills, and a lot of people owed him favors for reasons he wouldn’t elaborate on. He made his kids read the newspaper and underline any words they didn’t know so they could look them up later. Then he’d quiz them. While he didn’t necessarily agree it was a “solid investment”, he was always game to look at handbags with his daughter. He treasured getting dinner with his family, and deciding where to go was an all-day affair that started at breakfast. He always picked up the check. 

His family was his world, and we knew it. He'd do anything for any of us, and always showed up.

Visiting hours will be held in the Brown & Hickey Funeral Home, 36 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, Monday, May 11th, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Sacred Heart Church 770 Mt. Auburn St, Watertown, Tuesday, May 12th, at 10:00 AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Interment will follow in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to the Boys and Girls Club of Waltham. 

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