CHARLENE HOLLIS

8/7/1949 - 1/26/2022

Charlene Ann Hollis made her debut at a U.S. military base in occupied Japan on August 7, 1949. Her father, Calvin, was a Master Sargeant in the Air Force. Her mother, Frances, had been a career woman who hadn’t intended on marrying until she confronted Charlene’s father at a military dance where his men were up to shenanigans that she wanted him to stop immediately. He did. Charlene inherited her chutzpah from her mother.

With her father in the military, the family moved often with stays in New York where her brother Calvin was born and stays in Florida where her brother Jerry was born. Charlene developed a hatred for moving and for getting rid of possessions.

Charlene had dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. She loved Bob Mackie’s designs in particular.

Charlene received her BA in English from the University of California, Riverside. She became a teacher like her friends did because she did not have a strong vocational direction at the time. She amended this by taking her teaching very seriously.

She went on to earn a master’s focused on teaching reading at Cal State San Bernardino, becoming the most educated member of the family. She became a resource for other teachers on how to teach reading. She spearheaded the development of new learning environments.

She was an animal lover who named her cats using puns and her dogs after flowers. Bartholomeow, Clawed, Daisy, Rosebud, Lily and Petunia to name a few. Oh and a turtle named Blossom. She loved the Marx Brothers, the Smothers Brothers, Monty Python and Gilbert & Sullivan (particularly the Pirates of Penzance). She wanted to travel but found it nerve racking unless it was a road trip. She crafted continuously, trying her hand at sewing, crocheting, cardmaking, scrapbooking, etc. Her Santa Claus ornaments sold out at her daughter’s elementary school holiday fundraiser. She was a voracious reader mostly of mysteries and she collected children’s books that she shared with her students.

Every December, she would offer holiday cookies to her neighbors, the Hernandez family who in turn would give her homemade tamales. She believed she received the better end of the deal.

Charlene was funny, she was smart, she was loving and she is missed. She is survived by her brothers Calvin and Jerry, her sister-in-law Jeannette, her nephews Jeremy and Jake and his wife Alexandra, her niece Sarah, her son-in-law Toby and her daughter Elizabeth.

In lieu of flowers, please commit a random act of kindness.