Obituary of Charlene A. Salewski

ILION - Charlene “Char” (LaDue) Salewski, age 68, of Ilion, New York, entered into eternal rest on Sunday, October 31, 2021, with her family by her side. Born in Utica, New York, on March 13, 1953, Char was the daughter of the late LeRoy and Josephine (Melia) LaDue. Char was a graduate of Ilion High School and attended Herkimer County Community College. On May 3, 1975, she married her high school sweetheart, Siegfried Salewski, where they enjoyed 44 loving years together. Charlene spent many years working as an at home daycare provider. She later became Director of the Utica and Rome Family Court Children’s Center. Char had a passion for helping children and was recognized for her dedication and compassion. In 2007, she was nominated and honored with the YWCA Mohawk Valley Oreatha Bowen‘s award. This award is given to an employee who always goes above and beyond. She also received the Friend of the Child Care Coordinating Council, in 2013. After retiring, Char continued volunteering her time with her church and most recently with CareNet. Charlene was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother (Nana), daughter, sister and friend. She was always there for her family and involved in all aspects of their lives, always having a smile on her face and making every situation positive. Char had an uplifting personality with so much joy and passion for life. Her happy demeanor and laughter was noticed and infectious anywhere she went. Char was an avid baker known for her monkey bread, working woman cookies and pepperoni bread, always made with “love and prayers”. She was a very family-oriented person. Char loved her grandchildren dearly. She would attend all of their sporting events, enjoyed spending time with them, always entertaining them with crafts, swimming, cooking, playing Wii and especially board games and puzzles. Charlene would volunteer her time with many charities including ringing the holiday bell for Salvation Army, Relay for Life, Crop Walk, and Making Strides against Breast Cancer. She was an active member of Word Christian Center in Mohawk, volunteering all of her extra time and talents to the church. Charlene is survived by her daughters, Laura Nowosielski (Chris), of Albany and Kelly Salewski, of Ilion; her grandchildren, Sianna and Jackson Kenyon (Jack) and Lily and Olivia Nowosielski; her sister, Deb and Nick Galotti, of Cary, North Carolina with their children, Michelle and Andrew; her brother, Layne and JoAnn LaDue, of Herkimer, New York with their children Michael and Andria; her lifelong friend and neighbor, Eileen Kipper; along with several other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Siegfried Salewski; her parents, LeRoy and Josephine LaDue; and her aunt, June Getz, of Utica, New York. The family would like to give a special thank you to her Prayer Warriors as well as the hospital staffs of Albany Med and Bassett of Cooperstown. Her funeral arrangements have been established with the Enea & Ciaccia Family Funeral Home, 4309 Acme Road, Ilion, NY (Town of Frankfort) and will consist of the following times: Calling hours at the funeral home are on Saturday, November 6th, 2021, from 1PM until 4PM. A Memorial Service offered by Eileen Kipper will begin Saturday afternoon, at 4PM, at the funeral home chapel. Those wishing to contribute in loving memory of Char are asked to consider donations to the CareNet @ 12 West Street, in Ilion, NY 13357 or to Word Christian Church @ 27 East Main Street, in Mohawk, NY 13407. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home for these purposes. Char’s services were arranged with her friends and neighbors, Funeral Directors Harry J. and Kevin E. Enea and Martin L. Ciaccia (315) 894-8000. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.eneafamily.com on the Internet.