Charlene Ann Hubbard

Charlene Ann Hubbard, 76, of Sun City Center, Florida, died peacefully after a brief illness on Sunday March 19th, 2023. She left the world far too soon, but she did it exactly how she lived: surrounded by family and friends who cherished her kindness, generosity of spirit, and bottomless joy.

Born in Spring Valley, IL and raised in the town of Henry, Char was preceded in death by her dear parents Chuck and Betty Hoffman.

She is survived by her loving husband, friend, and partner of 28 years, Jerry Hubbard; daughters Shana (Mike) Karls and Tammy Oliveri; bonus children Wendy Hubbard, Ryan (Gail) Hubbard, and Angela (Zack) Brown; siblings Stephen (Mimiko) Hoffman, Daniel (Linda) Hoffman, and Janice (Tom) Maubach; eight nieces and nephews; eleven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; and countless friends, all of whom deeply mourn the loss.

Nothing was more important to Char than her family and friends. Those who knew her will remember opening envelopes around birthdays or holidays, finding a meticulously hand-colored card inside, and immediately knowing exactly who sent it. She put effort into her relationships because they mattered, and every visit with her was something to look forward to and remember.

The rare person who truly never met a stranger, Char had a unique ability light up a room and make everyone in it feel welcome. She read constantly, enjoyed gardening, and was always an interesting conversationalist. It goes without saying that her favorite topic of conversation was her family, particularly her children and grandchildren, of whom she was immensely proud.

Char was caring, fun, kind, thoughtful, and so thoroughly decent she once lost a necklace her husband gave her and felt compelled to secretly buy a custom-made replacement in an effort to spare his feelings…and then got caught red-handed in the middle of the caper. She was exactly the kind of person that makes you say, “God broke the mold when he made her.” Anyone who knew her wishes he’d have kept it around, because the world could use a lot more people like Char.

A celebration of Char’s life will be held in Peoria, IL on July 22, 2023. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.