Charles Lilly
Chuck, the son of Kentucky farmers and later school teachers, was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1934. His parents, Charles Sr. and Mary Jesse, instilled in him the importance of hard work, learned during the Great Depression. He met Shirley Ann Michelon at a high school dance while Chuck attended Calumet High School, where he fiercely competed in basketball and wrestling. Soon after he married Shirley he was drafted into the Army, and served from 1954 to 1957 in the 82nd Airborne where he completed 39 jumps from airplanes.
Chuck and Shirley moved their young family from Chicago's South Side to Chicago's South suburbs, and eventually to Southern California. Chuck was an avid baseball and Anglels fan. He coached youth sports for many years and attended all of his children's and grandchildren's games and performances, whether baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, plays and concerts. Chuck and Shirley were always there to support their family.
Chuck was devoted to his family, and was always the first to suggest, "let's get together for the holiday!" He truly loved being with people and was always the "Master of Ceremonies" at family holidays. He was truly an inspiration, always "the glass half full" kind of guy, and lived by the philosophy that the hardest workers are always the luckiest.
He is and will forever remain alive in our hearts.
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Charles and I grew up in Avalon Park, a southeast neighborhood in Chicago Illinois. This was during the depression and we lived in an old wooden house where you climbed a set of stairs to the front porch. The small back porch was made into a kitchen and we shared a bedroom until just before I went off to college. At that time our parents bought a house on the west side of town where we both had our own bedrooms.
Avalon Park was a wonderful place to grow up. The kids in the neighborhood played kick the can, hide n seek and other games. We loved the fall as we would gather leaves and then have a small bonfire at the curb. The school was a block away and the church 3 blocks away. Our father was very active in the Avalon Park Community Church and he required us to attend every Sunday. Dad loved poetry and memorized it and would recite it out loud. Listening to Dad, Charles also memorized many of Dad’s poems and could recite them as well. One of Charles’ favorite activities was to coach a penny from Mom so he could walk down to the corner to Sophie’s store to buy a piece of penny candy.
Every summer from age 7 and on, Charles would spend it in Smith Mills, Kentucky, with his Uncle Grover and Aunt Vera. Uncle Grover owned the general store and Charles would spend a lot of time there. Smith Mills was our father’s hometown.
My brother was quite a jokester and would repeat his favorite jokes to anyone who would listen. One of his favorite times was when our families gathered on Christmas Eve. Shirley would fix everyone’s favorite Italian dinner. Afterwards Charles would give each of us a verse to the 12 days of Christmas to sing. He loved his family and extended family, as we loved him also. He definitely will be missed.
His loving sister,
Deedee