Charleen Piner

Charleen Ann Piner

1945 - 2020

Charleen Ann Piner (74) returned to the loving arms of our Heavenly Father on August 22nd, 2020, after a courageous and graceful battle with Lewy Body Dementia. She was born in Stockton, California, on December 28th, 1945 to Ruth and Wilton Quiram of Whittier, California. Named after her uncle Charles, a pilot in WWII, she preferred to go by Charlee.

After battling Melanoma at 16, Charlee pursued a nursing degree. While in nursing school, her class was invited to join the Marines from Camp Pendleton for the Marine Corps Ball. There she met a young marine from Michigan, Gary Piner, and quickly fell in love. They wrote letters during Gary’s deployment in Vietnam, and upon his return, Charlee married the love of her life on November 9, 1968. Charlee and Gary shared an unconditional love. Through the good influence of friends, the Piner family was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ and then sealed for eternity on April 5, 1977.

Together they raised five children. Charlee was an incredibly supportive mother and was always there for her children. Through example, she taught her children kindness, empathy, compassion, hard work, and the joy of pulling off a good prank. Through countless family dinners, vacations, long talks, bowls of ice cream, laughter and hugs, she was the heart and soul of the Piner family.

Later in life, Charlee returned to nursing, serving and caring for those at the end of their lives. Her thoughtful, kind demeanor was her hallmark, as she always went the extra mile in making her patients feel special, loved, and cared for. Caring for others was her passion and her gift.

Charlee always had her camera ready and had an eye for capturing the beauty in nature’s details. As a result, she won many county fair awards for stunning photos of flowers, snowflakes, rivers and the majestic vistas of the Kamas Valley.

Charlee opened her home and her heart to neighbors and friends. If you knew her, you loved her. Her pure Christlike love and service made everyone around her feel special and loved. Charlee’s sweet smile, cheerful greeting, welcoming hugs, and her loving presence will forever be missed. As her health declined, Gary cared for Charlee with selfless love at their home in Oakley, Utah. “Until the twelfth of never, I’ll still be loving you” will always be their song.

Survived by her husband Gary and five children: Dana (Greg) Swadling, Staci (Matt) Mecham, Jodi (Jeff) Hartley, Debbi, and Adam; as well as eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild, all of whom will miss their Mom, their Nana, and their silly Grandma. Charlee was proceeded in death by her parents and her sister Marsha Partridge.

A small, private graveside service will be held for the family due to Covid restrictions. Friends are encouraged to share stories of Charlee by sending them to memoriesofcharlee@gmail.com. These treasures will be compiled into a book for the family.

Thank you to Kathy and Heather from Applegate Home Care and Hospice for their loving service and care. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association: https://www.lbda.org/donate or mail to:

LBDA

912 Killian Hill Road, S.W.,

Lilburn, GA 30047