Marlborough veteran gets a new roof over his head

Saddled with increasing medical bills to treat his wife’s emphysema, World War II veteran Charlie Keyser thought he had no place to turn when his leaky roof needed to be replaced.

Keyser, a diabetic who walks with a cane after recently suffering carbon monoxide poisoning, said the roof of his Farm Road home was damaged by a tree limb during the 2008 ice storm.

“I had a dozen pans at my front door catching the water,” said Keyser, 84.

With the help of Marlborough Veterans Agent Gary Brown, the Hudson Grace Baptist Church and Habitat for Humanity, more than 20 roofers and volunteers installed a new roof on his home yesterday.

Keyser couldn’t fix the roof because of the high cost of treatment for his wife Doris, who is in the hospital, as well as the cost of his own medications.

“Every time she goes in the hospital it is $250,” Keyser said. “I had a guy come by and look at it, but I didn’t have the money to pay him. It’s expensive.”

Now, though, thanks to a program that helps needy vets, his house has a new roof.

Nora Quattrocelli, community development and volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of MetroWest and Greater Worcester, said Habitat officials recently partnered with the Home Depot Foundation to create a pilot program, which provides grants to Habitat affiliates.

Habitat for Humanity of MetroWest and Greater Worcester is one of 30 nationwide affiliates participating in the pilot program, said Quattrocelli.

Brown told Habitat about Keyser’s troubles and through the program three roofers, O’Brien Home Services Roofing and Contractor of Holden, RQ Fabrication and Installation of Auburn and Marco Vaz Home Improvement of Worcester, volunteered to help.

“We try to help the best we can,” said Vaz, who spends each Saturday offering home improvement assistance to those in need. “I feel good helping him. I enjoy it.”

Members of Grace Baptist’s Second Saturday program, which offers home repairs to needy residents every second Saturday of the month, also pitched in. Program volunteers also built a handicap ramp a few months ago to make it easier for the Keysers to enter the home they have lived in for 40 years.

A retired Marlborough Department of Public Works employee, Keyser was born in Jamestown, Pa., and moved to Marlborough a few years after leaving the Navy. Keyser spent 10 months stationed on the USS Horn in the Pacific during World War II before the ship was decommissioned.

Keyser was sent home shortly after the end of World War II and enlisted in the Naval Reserve. In 1951, he was called back into active duty and served on the USS William R. Rush in the Mediterranean Sea patrolling the European coastline during the Korean War.

Keyser and his shipmates also served as honor guards for one of Queen Elizabeth II’s visits to Gibraltar.

“It was good duty,” Keyser said. “All we did was watch and watch and watch.”

With work on the roof nearly complete late yesterday afternoon, Habitat Executive Director Harriett Lebow said it was inspiring to watch the volunteers.

“It was very exciting to see everyone so busy at work,” she said.

With more winter weather likely on the way, Keyser said he was grateful to all the volunteers.

“I think the world of them,” Keyser said. “They couldn’t do anymore for you. They’re the finest people I’ve met.”

(Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com.)