Obituary of Charlotte Jane Garrahan

Charlotte J. Campbell-Garrahan, 89, was born June 20, 1930 to Shirley and Alfred Lind in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Charlotte peacefully passed away January 18, 2020 at her home in Eagle with her granddaughter Holly by her side.

During her adolescence Charlotte’s mother remarried and the family moved to Whittier, California where her mother and stepfather ran the Nelles School for Boys. At the age of 14 Charlotte met her high school sweetheart, John Campbell, and they wed in June 1950. Together they raised their two children, Julie and Laurie, spending much of their time on the family boat The Fuzz. Charlotte also served as the Scout Leader for their daughters’ Campfire Girls troops. She worked as a health care administrator and John was a police officer for Whittier PD.

After Charlotte lost John to cancer in 1976, she met the second love of her life, Dean Garrahan, while selling her boat. The two married in June 1980. In 1994, Charlotte and Dean, Julie, Laurie, and Holly moved to Eagle, Idaho. Charlotte was an avid gardener and took much pride in their home and garden. She would often give away strawberry jam or blackberries to neighbors, firefighters, the Senior Citizens Center, or anyone who happened to stop by her house. She found great joy in the various wildlife that would venture onto their property, including many deer, fox, cottontail rabbits, and two special wild turkeys. Above all her favorite thing was her collection of linens, which were always white and of the best quality she could find. She was a strong, determined, and caring woman, who loved her family more than anything and saw each day as a gift to be alive.

Charlotte is survived by her granddaughter Holly Beckstrom (Justin) and their three children, her three stepsons, Pat (Cathy), Mike (Connie), and Dennis (Lynn), and an additional six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. She has been reunited with her first husband John, and their daughters, Julie and Laurie Campbell, her second husband Dean, and stepdaughter Deanna.

A Funeral Service and Celebration of Life will be held at the United Methodist Church in Eagle, on Saturday, February 1st at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to your local Humane Society, P.E.O. Chapter, or the University of Idaho Extension Office.

We love you Gigi, with a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.