Charlene “Charlie” Lease Hatley of Hermiston passed away peacefully in her caregiver’s home in Hermiston on Oct. 26, 2024 at the age of 87.
She was born on Sept. 24, 1937 in Newberg to Roxie and Charley Lease.
She had two sisters and one brother and grew up in Maupin, where her father owned a service station. Charlie would hurry home from school to take care of the service station while her father rushed off to drive school bus to earn extra money to send her to beauty college. Charlie graduated from Maupin High School in 1956, and then graduated from Portland College of Beauty in 1957. She then married her husband of almost 65 years in 1959, Marion “Sarge” Hatley. Charlie and Marion raised three children together, and after their retirement they spent time together traveling in their RV from Alaska to Arizona many times. They loved to play blackjack and poker and slot machines, and they hosted many card games in their home that they had lived in since 1974. Charlie had a beauty salon attached to this said home where she practiced her trade until she retired, and then it became her sewing room.
Charlie was an amazing and avid seamstress; she could sew about anything and you couldn’t tell if it was store bought, she did so well. She taught herself how to oil paint and was such a talented painter as well, her husband built her canvases and she made some beautiful paintings. She also loved to read novels, she loved country music, and enjoyed doing things on her computer. Charlie and Marion also made lots of trips to Nevada, and the Wildhorse Casino was one of their favorite places to go. Charlie loved animals and always had small dogs throughout her life. Her little poodle Babe snuggled up to her right until she passed. Her favorite thing was visits from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Everyone loved to visit with her, too. Her spunky sense of humor always made it fun. Charlie also loved camping with her husband in the Blue Mountains, and as per her wishes there will be no service; her and her husband’s ashes will be spread together at a later date.
Charlie is survived by her three children, Dean Hatley and his wife Kathy of La Grande, Roxane Broadbent of Boardman, and Mary Cahill and her husband Scott of Umatilla; niece, Sharon Brock (who is like a sister to her) and her husband Gene of Hermiston; grandchildren, Jacob Hatley and his wife Hannah of Burns, Austin Hatley and his wife Julie of La Grande, Kelly Beehler of Yakima, Wash., Caleb Beehler of Hermiston, Kiefer Broadbent of Hermiston, Alyssa and her husband Charles of Pilot Rock, Keara and her husband Albert of Hermiston, Kenzie MacKenzie and her husband Gordon of Umatilla, Forrest Cahill of Umatilla, and Cameron Cahill of Plano, Texas; along with 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.
Please share memories of Charlie with her family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
