Charleen R. Gawronski

Charleen R. Gawronski, 76, died peacefully Sunday November 30, 2014 surrounded by her family. She was born March 31, 1938 in Gary, Indiana to the late Sidney and Katherine Richardson. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Robert A. Gawronski; sons, Glenn R. Gawronski of Tampa, FL, Grant L. (Pat) Gawronski of The Woodlands, TX; beloved granddaughter, Grace (who was the greatest joy in her life); and hundreds of extended family and friends that she cared about deeply. She was preceded in death by her sister, Sandra Wilhelm. Charleen was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, who will be dearly missed. She served in the US Navy and graduated from the Navy Hospital Corps School. Upon graduation, she served in St. Albans Navy hospital in New York, where she met her Husband Robert, a Naval Corpsman. Charleen graduated Summa Cum Laude from Capital University with a Bachelors Degree in Public Administration. Charleen believed in giving to the community. She was elected as a Mentor School Board Member and served for more than 24 years. During those years she helped spearhead a capital campaign that is still benefiting the Mentor Schools community today. The capital initiatives included the Fine Arts Center, the Football Stadium, the Service Building and the renovation of Memorial Junior High School. Her greatest contribution however was in her advocacy for teachers and students. She believed in and valued teachers and felt that they were the foundation of a strong school district. Most importantly, she worked for the students of Mentor Schools. Charleen understood that schools needed to have educational and extracurricular balance as well as alternative pathways for all students to achieve and succeed. To that end, she encouraged development of technical and vocational education classes, advanced placement curriculum, a broader fine arts program, and expanded athletic and extracurricular activities. She also served as President of the Kidney Foundation of Lake County, was awarded a lifetime membership to the Ohio PTA, was a lifetime member of Amvets, a lifetime member of The Marine Corps League, a member of the Mentor Schools Foundation, the Mentor Enterprise Zone Review Council, and was a Guardian ad Litem for the Lake County Domestic Relations Court. In 1998 she was recognized with her husband Robert as the Mentor Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. The family will receive friends from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Friday December 5, 2014, at First Church Congregational, 22 Liberty Street, Painesville. Inurnment will be in Mentor Cemetery, Mentor. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Charleen Gawronski Leadership Scholarship Fund, in care of Mentor Public Schools, 6451 Center Street, Mentor, OH 44060, or to the Kidney Foundation of Lake County, P/O Box 1508, Mentor, Ohio, 44061. Offer condolences at www.brunners.com

Charleen R. Gawronski

March 31, 1938 - November 30, 2014