Charlotte Lee Gaudreau

Charlotte was born July 1, 1961 at Divine Infant Hospital, Wakefield, Michigan, daughter of James and Dolores (Ravanelli) Reed. Raised in Hurley, Wisconsin, she attended St. Mary’s Catholic schools and graduated with honors from J.E. Murphy High School, Class of 1979. Proud of her Hurley roots and a Hurley Midget forever. Charlotte attended Gogebic Community College and then Northern Michigan University graduating with honors earning a Bachelor Degree in Accounting. Charlotte enjoyed a long and distinguished career in banking. A career that began as a part-time teller at First of America Bank. Her career journey included National City Bank, First National Bank of Negaunee and then Range Bank where she was currently Senior Vice President – Business Banking. She took great pride in her extensive banking experience and would, at times, comment that with the exception of being the Bank President, she was pretty sure that she had held every other position. Charlotte was particularly grateful for the mentorship of Jim Alderson and Scott Riley in the early years of her career and credited many others past and present for the faith and trust they put in her and her career journey. Charlotte was a proud member of the Marquette Breakfast Rotary Club. She liked to say that she was “nearly” one of the original members remaining actively involved with the club for over two decades. She took great pride in her contributions to the Annual Fish Boil, serving for years as the Bar Manager, a Paul Harris Fellow, proud host of a Rotary exchange student when no one could or would, and coffee and donuts for the Spring and Fall highway clean-up around Marquette Mountain. Bay Cliff Health Camp and the Annual Golf Outing held a special spot in her heart in recent years. Hosting the putting contest was right up her alley. The opportunity to raise more money than the year before and then use her considerable power of persuasion to get golfers to contribute just a bit more was too much for her to resist. For Charlotte, it was always about everyone having fun and the monetary end result for Bay Cliff. Charlotte was a devout Catholic committed to her faith and a Catholic School education for her daughters. So she volunteered and coordinated countless school functions, fundraising events and then served as a school board member for many years. She supported the St. Francis Connection Center, Catholic Social Services and the Care Clinic of Marquette. She was a committed parish member of St. Peter Cathedral.

Service above self guided everything that she did in her family and professional life. Charlotte had a deep commitment to life experiences. Work hard, save and enjoy. Repeat. So she and her family traveled and experienced many adventures. Disney, Las Vegas, Phoenix, the Black Hills, Disney Cruise, Mackinac Island, New York City, Chicago, Colorado, Hawaii, Italy and the Grand Canyon to name just a few. She loved concerts. Paul McCartney, Cher, the Stones, Elton John and Keith Urban to name a few. Let’s not forget the annual quest for Final Four tickets. Charlotte’s passion and special talent was shopping. Looking for just the right gift. Knowing what would appeal and be appreciated. Shopping ahead of every holiday. Having something on hand just in case. Getting the best deal. Coupons. This included a special and enduring relationship with Louis Vuitton. She shared this passion with her daughters, who she adored and loved beyond words. She enjoyed reading. Sudoko, the Scrambled Word Game – Jumble and most recently, Lego Building Sets both big and small. Charlotte’s favorite though, was the Annual Kentucky Derby pool that she organized every year. Family and friends couldn’t wait to get the call with the name of their horse and the odds. Everyone anxiously tracked their horse’s odds and then watched the race often wearing colorful hats and drinks in hand. Charlotte orchestrated the entire race as if she was in charge. Well, she was and then relished the excitement and joy of an experience that would become a tradition.

Charlotte is survived by her husband, Brian; daughters, Taylor Gaudreau of Marquette and Molly Gaudreau of Minneapolis, MN; her parents, James and Dolores Reed of Hurley, WI; three sisters, Jean Reed of Phoenix, AZ, Lynn (Glen) Kuklinski and Chrissy (Nathan) Krone all of Hurley, WI; cherished nieces and nephews, Crystal Kuklinski, Mellen, WI, Brittany (Mike) Saubert, Wakefield, MI, Jimmy Kuklinski, Fort Collins, CO, Nathan Krone, Hurley, WI and her precious little Ollie, Wakefield, MI.

The family will receive relatives and friends in the Bishop’s Room located at St Peter Cathedral on Saturday, September 30 beginning at 11:00 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the Cathedral at 1:00 pm with Rev. Msgr. Michael Steber, Pastor, as celebrant. Interment will be made at the Holy Cross Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider Charlotte’s request to make a donation in her memory which the family will direct to a health care initiative to be determined at a later date. Her hope was to support research efforts that might in the future provide hope and treatment for TPLL.

Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com.