FLORENCE — Former Daily Hampshire Gazette publisher Charles “Charlie” W. DeRose, 84, who alongside his late brother Peter L. DeRose turned the Gazette into a true community newspaper, died on Tuesday, July 1, after a long battle with illness.

“He was a wonderful guy and a wonderful neighbor who made a lot of friends because he was such a good person,” said Patrick M. Goggins, a close friend and neighbor of Charlie’s for over 40 years.

DeRose was never a stranger to the Pioneer Valley, being born in Northampton in 1941 and living most of his life in the area. He was a prominent athlete at Northampton High School participating in basketball, football and track before moving to Williston Northampton School where he earned All-American honors in football playing tackle.

With his family’s involvement in the newspaper publishing industry, it is no coincidence DeRose liked to say, “Newspaper ink gets in your blood.”

Prior to Newspapers of New England purchasing the Gazette in 2005, the oldest continuously published newspaper in Massachusetts was owned by the DeRose family, purchased in 1929 by Charlie’s grandmother, Harriet Williams DeRose.

Charlie DeRose fell in love with newspaper publishing in Vermont at the Burlington Free Press, after graduating from the University of Vermont in 1966. In 1968 he moved back to Northampton to join the family business at the Gazette selling ads for his father, Charles N. DeRose. After his father’s passing in 1970, his brother Peter — who died last year — joined to become co-publishers of the Gazette and co-owners of WHMP AM and FM radio in Northampton.

Under the DeRose leadership, the Gazette underwent a move to Conz Street during a period of steady growth. The brothers led the Gazette to be established as a successful newspaper in the community marked by being named Northampton Citizens of the Year in 1988.

“His dedication to the community was just incredible,” said Goggins, describing Charlie’s outgoing nature. “He understood very well the importance of community involvement.”

In 1995, Charlie DeRose stepped back from management of the Gazette after purchasing Meriden Precision Plastics in Connecticut which he operated for five years until its sale in 2000, when he retired.

His community action didn’t end at his work with the Gazette. Outside of work, he was a active member of the community, fulfilling multiple volunteer leadership roles at the March of Dimes walkathons, the Northampton Teen Center, the YMCA, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, the Academy of Music and more.

“He was a bridge over troubled waters because he helped people so much. He didn’t even know many of the people he helped ... ” said Goggins. “He was a terrific fundraiser and was always there when the important tasks needed to be done.”

DeRose was heavily involved in Northampton Neighbors, an organization whose mission is to help older adults in the Northampton community create and maintain connections, helping support different members of the community.

Along with being an accomplished publisher, he had a particular love for vehicles as a successful pilot and boat enthusiast. Goggins reminisced about a memory of flying with his and Charlie’s family in a hot air balloon, launched and piloted by Charlie right out of his backyard in Florence.

His love for vehicles didn’t stop in the air as he had a particular love for the water and sailing boats, embedded by summer boating trips to Rhode Island and his father’s love for boats. Charlie took numerous boating trip with his family and friends in his later years.

“He’s been a very important man in Northampton’s recent past and he will be missed,” said Alfred Griggs, a friend of Charlie’s since the 1950s.

Sam Ferland can be reach at sferland@gazettenet.com.