Charlotte COZZETTO Obituary (2021) – Spokane, WA

COZZETTO, Charlotte Marie Overland obituaries are constantly being written as if they were a statement of fact; “this person” is survived by their children and grandchildren, and “this person” loved doing “these hobbies” – as if hobbies and loved ones are enough to define a person’s life. But Charlotte made you feel things, and because of the impact she has had on those around you, we would like those who read this entry to also feel the raw and lasting effect she has had on others. She wasn’t just someone else’s life with a series of facts and family members associated with her name. Charlotte’s life really meant something, changed others, and affected the pull of the universe. On Sunday March 21, 2021, Charlotte Cozzetto, our loving mother, grandmother and sister, passed away peacefully at the age of 84. Some statements of fact are made here, but they are not Charlotte’s defining personal descriptors – they will come later. She was born on February 25, 1937 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She spent Charlotte’s early years in Billings, Montana, where she graduated from elementary, middle and high school. She then studied interior design at the University of Washington, where she met her husband and the father of their children, Joseph Cozzetto. Charlotte and Joe were married for 24 years and raised four children between the Northside of Spokane, Hayden Lake and Tucson, Arizona. Charlotte was a continuous ray of God’s love and light in her church. To be a mother and a grandmother means to love your children and grandchildren unconditionally and to teach them the wonders of the world as they grow. Support and promote love and kindness. Not only did Charlotte teach her family the importance of this life, but she was sure she was setting an example for her word. She was infinitely generous, gentle and warm. It was a consolation to be in her presence, at home, in her life. She passed on the material items that most of us deem necessary to those in desperate need. Once she gave a friend who needed her more than she did her own washing machine and dryer. She was rigorously involved in every church she attended, including Bible studies, home deliveries, and many women’s groups. Charlotte was able to recognize the simple joys in life and part with the unnecessary luxuries that the majority of our population take for granted. She knew what it meant to be vivacious and selfless. She was too good for this world. It’ll never be easy to tell she’s gone. Nor will it be easy to help a person in need without thinking about them and their constant reminder that a person in need can be an angel who will test your kindness and faith. It will never be easy to read the scriptures without remembering that she read every single line to us. Nor will we ever be able to watch a Shirley Temple movie without thinking about her, or sew a dress, knit a purse, paint a canvas. The scent of lavender will linger constantly in the knots of their presence, just as a bouquet of lilies in the room will make everyone who loved them smile – and at the same time shed tears. This is the legacy that Charlotte Cozzetto leaves behind. This is the consequence, and it is bitter, but also so very sweet. Although we know she has passed away, we like to believe that she listens to our thoughts and prayers and holds our hands during our daily stresses and responsibilities. And that she will also stand next to us in the future. We will take her because we loved her and because we still love her. And we would like to take a moment to show our love and comfort to all of those who mourn the loss of a loved one at this incredibly sensitive time in the world. We want to remind ourselves and everyone who reads that “this life will be good and beautiful, but not without heartbreak. In death comes peace, but pain is the cost of living. Like love, we know we are alive.” Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents Bernard and Minnie Overland, and she is survived by the loving family that built her. Their four children and their many grandchildren. Julie Vill, her partner Michael Pendleton and Julie’s daughter Milena Vill. Steve and Debbie Cozzetto, their children: Michelina, Jared and Jovan. Melisa Hurst, her husband Randy Hurst and Melisa’s children: Blake Bowerman and Brooke Bowerman. Dominic and Lucia Cozzetto, their children: Giovanni, Treviso, Gianna and Luca. Her brother Bernie Overland, his children Jon, Eddie and Laura. And Charlotte’s ex-husband Joseph Cozzetto. We’d like to especially thank the people at Brookdale Park Place – Memory Care who looked after Charlotte in their later years.

Posted in Spokesman Review on April 4, 2021.