Charlotte S. Scarcelli, 78, died of natural causes on October 6, 2021, in her home in West Lafayette. The daughter of the late Col (USA ret.) Hubert E. and Elizabeth H. Strange, Charlotte Eleanor Strange was born June 28, 1943, in Birmingham, AL. Charlotte grew up in the military, moving with her army family to numerous locations both in Europe and across the United States. She graduated from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., and then earned her BA in French language and literature from the College of Mount St Joseph, Cincinnati, OH, in 1965. She taught high school French and English in OH and rural IN before moving to West Lafayette, where she earned her MA in French and her MS in Parent Education at Purdue University. She raised a family of five dearly-loved children, and they survive: John (Jeanette), Houston, TX; Jamie (Kathleen), Zionsville, IN; Joe (Char), Dallastown, PA; Maria (Aaron) Hartman, Greenwood, IN; and Marc (Andrea), Claremont, CA. Also surviving are seven beloved grandchildren: Lydia, Alex, Bella, Claire, Tea, and Max Scarcelli, and Levi Hartman. In addition, she is survived by three brothers: Jack (Wanda) Strange, Basehor, KS; Bob (Mary) Strange, Milwaukee, WI; Bill (Anne) Strange, New Palestine, IN; one sister, Beth (Chris) McNerney, Granger, IN; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Charlotte always said that one of her greatest joys was the large family of which she was so very proud.

In 1977 Charlotte helped begin the Parent/Infant/Toddler Program in West Lafayette, where she expanded the program and taught part-time for seven years. Then she returned to full-time employment, first as a substitute teacher in the Tippecanoe County school system, then as the Home Program Coordinator for Tippecanoe County Child Care for five years, where she enjoyed learning her way around a nine-county area and became the principal organizer of the Indiana conference for home child care providers. In 1990 she returned to the Department of Foreign Languages at Purdue, where she worked for nearly twenty years, teaching French and serving as the departmental Schedule Deputy. There she met, worked with and loved many students and faculty from around the world. When she retired, the departmental gift came with a card which read, “From all the folks in FLL whose lives were better because you cared so much for us.” Charlotte treasured this card for years. She thoroughly enjoyed reading, learning foreign languages, and working puzzles of many kinds. She often said one of her personal goals was to learn to say “Hello” and “Thank you” in all twelve languages taught in the department. She very nearly succeeded.

After her retirement from Purdue, Charlotte took on several new forms of service: she helped start the volunteer dining room service assistance at University Place senior living community, and she also worked with St Elizabeth’s Hospice program as a visitor for those receiving Hospice services. Both of these brought her immense peace and great joy; she particularly loved having worked with people from “cradle to grave” in her own lifetime. In addition, Charlotte began a writing career which had long been waiting in the back of her mind, producing historical fiction for children centered on the Underground Railroad experience. She also learned and greatly enjoyed a new skill, loom knitting. With this she made and donated many dozens of tiny red hats for preemies through the American Heart Association, as well as numerous “comfort dolls” which she donated to children in Haiti. Although she struggled with two health conditions which greatly complicated her life, she nevertheless did her best to leave her mark in the world, in gratitude for the many gifts she felt she had been given.

Charlotte belonged to St Thomas Aquinas Church, West Lafayette, for over fifty years, where she volunteered in a number of programs that were ongoing, including ten years on the Board of Directors for the children’s education program (serving as its Chairperson for five years). She trained many of the lay ministers for nearly twenty years, herself serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister as long as her health permitted.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in West Lafayette; Mount St Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH; a cancer program of donor’s choice; the West Lafayette Public Library; or Plan International.

Visitation will be from 9:00 am until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:00 am on Monday, November 22, 2021 at St. Thomas Aquinas Center, in West Lafayette.