Charlene Newton

Charlene Newton, lovingly known as Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Mom, Nana, and bonus mom to so many, entered the arms of Jesus on May 22nd, 2026, at the age of 71.

Born on June 23rd, 1954, in Hinsdale, Charlene grew up in Willow Springs and spent her last years in Crete Illinois, where she filled her home with Jesus, love, laughter, coffee, animals, prayer, and the kind of warmth that made everyone feel safe, loved, and seen. 

Above all things, Charlene loved Jesus. In her final conversation with her Granddaughter, she gave the same advice she lived by every day of her life: “Always put Jesus first. Always keep praying.” Her faith carried her through unimaginable heartbreak, illness, loss, and pain, yet she remained one of the gentlest and most selfless people anyone could ever know.

Charlene was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Bill and Etta McCall; her cherished Papaw and Mamaw, Newt and Sylvia Bowling; her precious daughter Gina Newton; and her Great Granddaughter Charleigh Hope Grandel, whom she never got to hold in this life but whose arms we know she now rests in Heaven; and her beloved older sister and best friend, Earlene Smith, whose loss she carried in her heart heavily every day.

She leaves behind her Granddaughter who was essentially her Daughter too, in every way that mattered, Ashleigh Newton and Ashleigh’s husband, Damen Grandel; who she loved as her own son since his teen years. Her younger sisters- Pamela McCall and Debbie Hall (Don Hall); her nephews Robbie Smith and Wade Hall; and countless others who knew her as “Mom” even without sharing her last name. Charlene opened her heart to all of Ashleigh’s friends throughout the years, loving them fiercely, listening without judgment, feeding them, worrying over them, praying for them, and becoming a safe place for so many aching hearts. She was a nurturer to the core, and struggled immensely with not being able to physically take care of others as her health declined. 

Charlene spent many years working for Apria Healthcare before retiring early in late 2015 due to declining health. Her work reflected who she was at her core: compassionate, patient, and deeply empathetic. She helped people receive oxygen, wheelchairs, nebulizers, breathing machines, and other medical equipment during some of the hardest moments of their lives. She comforted scared families on the phone and treated suffering people with tenderness and dignity long before she herself became so ill.

To know Charlene was to know unconditional love.

She was nurturing to her core, endlessly empathetic, deeply sensitive, hilariously stubborn, and always putting others before herself. Even on her final day, while under hospice care, she was still trying to make sure everyone else had snacks and drinks, thanking the nurses for caring for her instead of focusing on herself. Asking if Damen had gotten enough sleep, asking him to “Always take care of her baby”. That was simply who she was. She wasn’t afraid to go to Heaven, she embraced it. Her only fear was Ashleigh’s pain. 

She loved cooking for the people she loved, and her family will miss her meals forever. She loved coffee, fried chicken, sweets,  plants, books, and before losing her vision later in life, reading brought her endless comfort and joy. She believed books were a free way to travel. She never went on an airplane but she traveled to so many far away lands through pages of books. She shared a special love of Harry Potter with Ashleigh, finding deep meaning in a story that, at its heart, reminds us that a mother’s love protects her child long after death. That truth now feels more real than ever. Charlene was a Ravenclaw... in case you were wondering. 

Charlene also found joy in life’s softer and sillier moments. She adored funny animal videos, especially watching animals happily crunch snacks. Rico the porcupine brought her endless laughter, and Fiona the hippo became one of her favorite daily comforts during the years she was housebound and unable to visit the zoo (Brookfield Zoo) she once loved so dearly. She loved ALL animals, but she had a soft spot for pigs. 

But more than anything in this world, Charlene lived for her children. Her babies. 

After the devastating murder of her only child Gina in 1991 at only 17 years old, Charlene somehow found the strength to keep going and poured every ounce of her love into raising Ashleigh. She endured more pain than most people could possibly imagine, yet she continued loving with her whole heart. Her life was not easy. She suffered greatly for many years physically, emotionally, and spiritually — but through all of it, she remained loving, faithful, and fiercely devoted to Jesus and her family. 

Now, with God’s grace she is free. Hallelujah!!

Free from pain. Free from sickness. Free from struggling to breathe. She can walk again, she can RUN! Free to walk beside Jesus, reunited with the family she missed SO dearly. We like to imagine her fishing once again with her Papaw, wrapped in the love of Heaven, while holding sweet Charleigh in her arms at last.

In Charlene’s final moments, surrounded by love, “I’ll Fly Away” was sung softly beside her — the same hymn she loved singing in church throughout her life. And now she truly has flown away.

Ashleigh says she will forever find her mother in the birds and the sky. 

Charlene did not wish to have a formal service, she didn’t like attention on her. Instead she asks that everyone surround Ashleigh in the love and support she needs through her grief and pray for her health.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the  Endometrial Cancer Research Foundation in honor of Charlene and her daughter Ashleigh’s shared battle with endometrial cancer, or to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, whose animal videos on Facebook brought Charlene comfort, laughter, and joy during her hardest days. 

“When the shadows of this life have gone, 

I’ll fly away;

Like a bird from prison bars has flown, 

I’ll fly away”

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.