Charlene Marie (Gualdoni) Runge Public Obituary
Charlene Marie Gualdoni was born to Dr. Humbert William & Marie Elizabeth (Woerner) Gualdoni on their wedding anniversary November 29, 1934, a Thursday which was also Thanksgiving Day. Charlene was delivered by her grandmother Tressa (Berra) Gualdoni in her grandparents’ home in Sesser IL. Charlene grew up in Chester IL, where her father practiced dentistry assisted by her mother, with her older sister Jo Ann and younger brother Charles Joseph. Charlene loved the many different pets included in the Gualdoni household (Pal the dog, Blackie the crow, Pancho the raccoon, Lady the horse, Pedro the burro, squirrels, rabbits, ducks, geese, etc.). She graduated 8th grade in 1948 from St Mary’s Catholic Elementary School in Chester and high school in 1952 from Loretto Academy in nearby St. Louis MO. She attended DePaul Hospital School of Nursing 1952-1954 and married Charles Leo Hamm in 1954. They lived in Fort Leonard Wood MO during Chuck’s armed service, and then Rolla and St. Louis MO while raising son Thomas Andrew and daughter Jo Ann (Jody) Marie. Charlene married again in 1962 to Melvin Dale Runge. The Runges lived in Fort Leonard Wood MO during Mel’s armed service and then moved to Evansville IN in 1963 where they extended their family with daughters Jill Marie and Julie Doloris. Family pets included dogs Tramp & Noel and turtle Myrtle. Charlene was very active in their local Catholic church Christ the King and its elementary school. She saw her children through high school and also worked for Grote Lighting & Supply for many years. After divorcing in 1982, she completed her nursing degree at Evansville School of Practical Nursing in 1983 and moved to the Irvington neighborhood of Indianapolis IN. There she again worked for Grote Lighting & Supply until that business closed in 1988. She started work in the business department of Indianapolis Public Schools in 1990 and retired from there in 2004. Her constant love of pets extended to Budgie the parakeet and Jack the dog. She readily admitted a lifelong love of “going fast” whether it was on toboggans, motorcycles, water/jet skis, or even a Formula 1 racecar on the Indy 500 track. Charlene traveled and had many adventures with long term friend, Richard Horton. She volunteered at local nursing homes and continued her active support of Catholic churches at Little Flower parish where she served in many different functions. She moved near her daughter Jody to Glenbrooke retirement community in Palm Bay FL in 2020 where she quickly made many more friends and enjoyed many new activities. She tirelessly maintained her connection with her 4 children, 5 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren spread across 4 different states.