Charles O. “Charlie” Calligaris, 99, of Marseilles, passed away Monday, August 14, 2017 at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a. m. Friday, August 18, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Rev. Anthony Ego and Deacon Ron Wackerlin officiating. Visitation will be from 5-8 p. m. Thursday at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7:45 p. m. Entombment will be in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum at Oakwood Memorial Park in Ottawa.
Charlie was born November 11, 1917, in South Wilmington, to Michael and Rosalia (Scanavino) Calligaris. On October 5, 1946, he married Elizabeth Bergera at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Spring Valley.
He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he served on the Parish Council, was an usher and made ravioli for many years. He served in the U.S. Army as a Corporal in WWII, assigned to Battery C, 183rd Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theater of Operations. After the Army, he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Charlie was employed by Nabisco for 40 years until his retirement in 1982. He was a member of the Marseilles VFW Post 5506, American Legion Post 235, a lifetime member of the Marseilles Lion’s Club, a board member of the LaSalle County Housing Authority, a board member of Marquette High School, and past president of Marseilles Nabisco Union.
Charlie is survived by his wife, Betty; one daughter, Charlene (Lyle) Nelson; one son, Charles (Karen) Calligaris of Morris; four grandchildren, Matt Nelson, Sonja (Josh) Novotney, Sarah (Mark) Clemmons, and Christine (Brandon) Niewinski; and ten great-grandchildren, Hallie and Logan Nelson, Alec, Griffin and Noah Novotney, Finley and Andrew Clemmons, and Bryce, Brooklyn and Brayden Niewinski.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Sutton and Katie Garda; and one brother, Paul Calligaris.
Memorials may be given to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church or Marquette Academy.
Pallbearers will be Matt Nelson, Josh Novotney, Mark Clemmons, Brandon Niewinski, Mark Johnson, Bill Medler, and Tom Adler. Honorary Pallbearers will be Charlie Morrall, Jack Frost, and Brett Dorrington.
“Charlie”, as he was known by his friends, truly embraced the words faith, family and friends. Through his devotion to his Catholic faith, his loyalty to his family and his unending service to his community, Charlie has bestowed a legacy of love to all of us. He believed involvement, dedication and leadership was not only a duty but a right that each person should embrace. He loved sports, especially his St. Louis Cardinals and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish; as well as following his grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s sporting endeavors. Anytime one would pass him sitting in his garage with his special companion Peanut, his smile and friendly cane-wave always left you with a warm feeling of his friendship. We will all miss Charlie. We have truly lost our hero.
Charlie has been laid to rest in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Prayer.
Seals-Campbell Funeral Home 1009 E. Bluff St., Marseilles, IL 61341 815-795-5151 www.sealscampbell.com