Charlotte Mae Ciarlo died peacefully at home on May 27, 2026, in Clearwater, Florida. She was born in Dayton, Ohio on March 21, 1944, and raised in Brookville, Ohio.  She graduated from Brookville High School where she was the Student Council president. 

Her passion for music manifested itself early.  She was a three time All-State French Horn player in the NCR band.  When, during her senior year, her high school music director had to step away due to a serious medical issue, she replaced him, leading the marching band, conducting the orchestra and managing all the musical affairs.  She taught piano and French Horn lessons to children.  She later played French Horn in the fledgling Anchorage, Alaska, Symphony Orchestra and sang in an International Choir in Ankara, Turkey.

Her first professional job was working for Dayton Power and Light and while working there she met Fred Harold Ciarlo. They soon fell in love.  Around this time he was drafted into the Army.  On December 26th 1964, they were married.  

She became an “Army wife” at a time when this was as much a job description as a reflection of one’s marital status. During this chapter of her life she moved twenty-two times, handling a vast majority of the logistics that entailed. Nineteen of those moves were in the continental United States.  The others were to Alaska and Turkey.  She volunteered: running the office at a Native American orphanage in Lawton, Oklahoma, was a Den mother for a Cub Scout pack in Elyria, Ohio, and worked as a counselor in the early days of American Hospice at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  A voracious reader with a thirst for knowledge she welcomed any opportunity to expand her horizons.  She took shooting lessons, went camping and mostly liked it, provided there were no bears in the vicinity, took up tennis and became a licensed pilot.

She worked for the state department at the US Embassy in Ankara.  She taught English at the Turkish Air Force Academy in Izmir.  She was the business manager for the Hampton, Virginia police academy.  She wrote grants for the University of Alaska.  In her last job she worked with her husband, helping him run a bush airline in Fairbanks, Alaska.  She was also a great copy editor.

Not one for complacency, she also took continuing education classes off and on throughout her travels.  In 1992 she decided to study full time and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Fresno State University in 1993, graduating cum laude.

She spent her remaining years in Florida.

She was predeceased by her parents (Roy and Ethel Holsinger), her brother (Ken Holsinger) and her sister (Marlene Holsinger).  She is survived by her sons (John and Fred Ciarlo, Jr.), her daughter-in-law (Lori Orr), two grandchildren (Kate and Brendan Ciarlo) and her brother (Doug Holsinger).

Though she traveled the world she never lost touch with her small town, Midwestern roots.  She was not a joke teller, but she was easily amused, and had a hearty laugh and a wonderful smile. She was class personified, sharing her kindness and friendship with those lucky enough to come into her orbit. 

She could not have been a better wife, mother or grandmother.

Alzheimer’s may have ravaged her memory, but the world’s memory of her remains strong.

Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18th at Arlington Cemetery, Brookville.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the TD foundations (tdfoundation.org).  Its mission is to help American Veterans’ families in crisis.