Charlotte Shestokas

Charlotte Christine Shestokas April 15, 1929 - June 6, 2025

Charlotte Christine Shestokas, 96, passed away peacefully at home on June 6, 2025, in Orland Park, Illinois. She was born on April 15, 1929, in Willow Springs, Illinois, to Lithuanian immigrants Barbara "Bessie" and Casimir "Charles" Boguch.

In 1947 Charlotte became the first in her family to graduate from high school, graduating from Lindblom High School in Chicago. It was at a local community dance there she met the love of her life. John "Tom" Shestokas was a World War II Navy veteran, college football star and two years older than Charlotte. Home from Northern Illinois University, Tom went to the neighborhood dance expecting to see some of his Lindblom friends. Early on he observed Charlotte being harassed by a young man in whom she clearly had no interest. Though Tom and Charlotte had never met, Tom tapped the harasser on the shoulder and advised him that Charlotte was his date. Thus began a love story that would go on for nearly seven decades. Charlotte and Tom married on November 27, 1948, and together they shared a storybook marriage of over 64 years until his passing on January 3, 2013. Their partnership extended beyond their personal life into their business endeavors, as the Shestokas family operated a beer wholesale business from 1933 to 1993, with their primary location on Chicago's southwest side near Midway Airport. Charlotte managed the family business with incredible attention to detail, maintaining all books and records with meticulous care, never setting aside a bank statement until every deposit and expense were accounted for properly.

Despite her business responsibilities, Charlotte was a devoted mother who fully participated in the lives of her two children, David and Jill. She served as a Cub Scout den mother, never missed a Little League baseball or high school football game, and worked tirelessly with parent groups on fundraising activities for both the Scouts and Little League. She and Tom never missed any of Jill's marching band competitions around the country, and both parents served as chaperones during the band's European tours. Charlotte stewarded Jill to ballet classes regularly, never missing a recital, and served as a Girl Scout leader, camping with Jill and her troop. During Jill's time at St. Cletus Grade School in LaGrange, Illinois, she volunteered as a lunch monitor, always ensuring her children had her unwavering support. While living in LaGrange, Charlotte also volunteered at LaGrange Memorial Hospital driving elderly cancer patients for treatments.

Charlotte's talents extended beyond community service and recreation. She had an uncanny sense of style in both clothing and home decorating, overseeing the architecture and design of both her homes with Tom in LaGrange and Orland Park. She also possessed an uncanny sense of direction - so much so that even after the advent of electronic navigation, Tom would tell people he didn't worry about how to get somewhere because Charlotte was his GPS.

Charlotte had the most beautiful handwriting. In this day when many people can no longer read cursive writing, for her it was an art form. She was determined that her children would have that skill as well. When they were learning to write, if either child's homework was not beautifully written, she would lovingly shred the paper and toss it away to be redone until the child's cursive was presentable. As a result, people compliment Jill and David on their handwriting - a permanent gift they have from their Mom.

Charlotte maintained a lifelong interest in learning and often shared the adage "you learn something new every day." She consciously worked to imbue her children with her love of learning, encouraging reading through subscriptions to the All About Books series. Each month a new book would arrive on a different subject - history, dinosaurs, science - and Charlotte would have the children read and then discuss the content with her. Beyond that, outside of regular school, she enrolled David and Jill in a Great Books discussion group. She took the same devoted interest in the pursuits of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, making time for their athletic contests, piano recitals, track and field, soccer, baseball, diving and volleyball competitions.

As a result of the values of service and learning Charlotte instilled in her children, both have been involved in political and community affairs. In this day and age, she gave them a guiding light that would be so beneficial to public discourse in the 21st century. Every public endeavor or presentation by Jill or David is always privately driven by the question: "Would your mother approve?" She was a principal editor of David's books and website entries, reading drafts and telling him when a particular passage sounded too much like a lawyer, sending it back for a rewrite. David would work to maintain the integrity of a concept while Charlotte had it rewritten until the concept was expressed well for a broad audience. In the end, most of his writing has been "Mom approved." During her final month, she monitored the development of David's new YouTube channel, Constitutional Sound Bites, offering commentary on both content and visual presentation.

She had a keen interest in and no fear of new technologies. Over the last twenty-five years, she went through four computers, and as she learned new skills, she would often complain about old technology and how it was too slow. She shopped online and during one of her hospital stays, the staff gave her the nickname "texting grandma." She kept track of her family through texts and tracking apps, always staying connected with those she loved. Charlotte not only took advantage of new technology, but periodically participated in podcasting, appearing on the Pete Santilli show for her 93rd birthday, recounting the world changes during her life. She did another podcast that involved a conversation with Roger Dickens about the qualities of a CBD cream Roger produced in relieving the bone on bone pain in her arthritic knee. Her subtle humor, that was a source of daily smiles, was on full display when during the conversation she said: "If the house was on fire and I had to leave fast, I would leave the family pictures and make sure I grabbed the CBD."

Charlotte's community involvement was extensive and lasting. For over 50 years, she served in many leadership roles in the Auxiliary of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, participating organizing fundraising activities, talents shows and participating as talent herself for her favorite charity. She recruited Jill as a volunteer to assist with fundraising activities and delivery of services, including the annual winter clothing drive and delivery of collections to families in need. In 2018, she received the organization's highest recognition - the annual "Champion of the Children" award. For the only time in the organization's history dating back to 1911, this award was given to a volunteer, and Charlotte was named co-champion alongside one of her dearest friends, Minnie Sanstedt.

Her talents extended to recreational pursuits as well - she was a champion bowler who qualified several times for the Chicago Sun-Times Beat the Champions tournament. An avid bridge player, she belonged to many bridge groups over the years and even convinced her son David to learn the game, promoting his participation in tournaments across North America.

Though she never learned to swim herself, Charlotte was determined that her children would master this skill and enrolled them in YMCA swimming lessons from a young age. She was also known as an amazing cook, delighting family and friends with her culinary talents throughout her life.

Many decades ago, originally when Charlotte was involved in ceramics, she began a Christmas tradition of gifting signed and dated ornaments to children in the family. Many received ornaments from "Grandma", "Gigi" or "Aunt Char" for close to 20 years. She will live on decorating family Christmas trees for many generations. Charlotte's remarkable resilience was evident throughout her life. As a young girl of four, she was hit by a truck and hospitalized for over six months. The after effects would follow her for over 90 years, and at last count she had endured 27 medical procedures, including hip and shoulder replacements. In her final year, she suffered two broken femurs and underwent surgeries for both, followed by her dedicated rehabilitation work. Just late last year, she was up to eight minutes on the stationary bicycle. Charlotte was a tolerant and loving woman with patience for everyone - except those who did not follow their rehabilitation protocols. That determined attitude surely contributed to her long and full life.

Charlotte was preceded in death by her beloved husband Tom, her parents Barbara and Casimir Boguch, her sisters Nell and Mollie Kompik, and her brother Ralph Sharp.

She is survived by her two children, David and Jill; her grandchildren, Alex (Ilsa) Horist, Caroline Horist, Bill Horist, Donna Hanson, and Yvette Myrie; her two great-grandchildren, Allison Hanson and Isabelle Hanson, her three nieces who were like daughters, Bonnie Reeves Johnson, Brenda Kompik Gadberry, and Barbara Kompik DeVerdier and great nieces and nephews around the country who adore Aunt Char.

Charlotte lived a remarkable life filled with love, dedication, and service to others. Her legacy of family devotion, community involvement, and generous spirit will be cherished by all who knew her. Many who never met her, or even heard of her will benefit from the life lessons she taught to others, not with words but by her example of humor, love, kindness, caring, quiet strength and generosity.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charlotte's name to the Auxiliary of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, online at: https://infantwelfaresocietyauxiliary.org/donate/ or via check sent to: Attn: Maria Penland, Auxiliary Coordinator Auxiliary of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago 3600 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago, IL 60647

Visitation will be Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral Service Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home Interment Lithuanian National Cemetery. Charlotte will be laid to rest next to Tom, the love of her life. A luncheon will follow at Barraco's Restaurant on wolf Road in Orland Park, where Charlotte spent many happy hours with one of her regular bridge groups