Charlane J. Engelhardt

In Loving Memory

Charlane J. Engelhardt

Born Charlane Jean Doyle in Seattle, WA in April 1944 Char was raised in Fremont and as a child was a frequent visitor to the pony rides at Woodland Park Zoo. She lived with her aunt Bernie, and cousins Janet and Linda, for a time. She attended Holy Angels High School and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1962.

In November of 1962 Char married Leo Engelhardt and they were together for 60 years until his passing in 2022. They had four children: Jim, Tony (Tiffany), Andy (Cindi), and Janell (Justin) and seven grandchildren: Logan, Taegla, Brenna, Kingsley, Noah, Luke, and Ava. Leo and Char also opened their hearts and home to three of Leo’s sister’s children: Mike, Barbara, and Donna Lytle.

Char was very active in her younger years. In her late 20’s she played on the Univac Football, full tackle moms’ league where she was known as ‘Evil Engelhardt’. She was in a bowling league in the 1970’s and took up racewalking in the 1980’s. Char and her friend Darlene would regularly racewalk around Greenlake.

Char’s working life was spent in medical offices. Starting as an office admin at Dr. Sullivan’s office at Northgate and then as a medical billing clerk for Puget Sound Cancer Center. But her real career was in her volunteer work.

Char was very involved in Pacific Northwest Track and Field serving as a meet official, Youth Regional Coordinator, and Youth Treasurer spanning time from the 1970’s until she retired from her volunteer work in 2022. She made some of her closest friends through track. Volunteering with track gave Char the opportunity to go on trips to places like Korea, Japan, the 1994 Olympic games in Los Angeles, and more trips to Oregon and Eastern Washington than she could count.

The family had many trips together including many to Montana to visit the DeMink cousins and often to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. The DeMinks and Engelhardts also went on many trips together including Priest Lake, Idaho and Mt. Rainier. There were also a few trips to California to visit the Dubeau cousins, most notably in 1974 and in 1984. Since 2004 the highlight trip every year was the Engelhardt Family Vacation with all her kids and grandkids to Mt. Baker or Plain, WA. The last family trip was in 2025.

Her final years were spent quietly at home with visits from her children and grandchildren, watching the backyard birds and squirrels, and observing the mountains from her window. She passed quietly after only 2 days in the hospital, surrounded by her children and grandchildren on June 3, 2026.