Charlene Margery Lee

February 16, 1941 - April 8, 2020

Charlene Margery Lee left this world for heaven on April 8, 2020. She passed peacefully at home. She was born in February, 1941 in Cicero, Illinois to Lillian Jakopec (née Seps) and Charles Jakopec. She is survived by her best friend and husband of 58 years, Don, her sons Charles and David, daughter-in-law Tara, and four beloved grandchildren. Additionally, she is survived by her younger brother, Carl. Charlene was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother and a devoted friend to all those that knew her. She was a very caring person whose calling was the medical field. She was a registered nurse who spent many years working in operating rooms and emergency rooms, where she could help people when they needed it most. The final years in her career were spent supporting a private surgeon’s office. Charlene was an avid reader who loved language, puns, and history. One of her most enjoyable literary activities was to read biographies of the U. S. presidents. She also loved to bake, a hobby much appreciated by her family. Her specialty was houska, a Czech sweet bread. Additionally, she also enjoyed many hours in the kitchen preparing recipes from her grandmother, mother and friends. While Charlene’s passing weighs heavily on their hearts, her family continues to carry with them the blessing of her unconditional love and support. Our time on earth has been made better because of Charlene. The family would like to thank the many caregivers from Home Care Assistance El Dorado Hills and Sutter Care at Home who helped us. Alzheimer’s made for a long journey in the final years, but many wonderful caregivers eased the burden for us all. A celebration of Charlene’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a contribution, the family requests you to please make a donation to a charity of your choice in her name. Donations made to organizations that support research into Alzheimer’s would be aligned with Charlene’s lifelong focus of using medical science to make people’s lives better.