Carol J. Rutek

Carol Joan Rutek, nee Charniak, 79, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, died after a very sudden illness in the early morning hours of June 9, 2021, at the hospital with her oldest daughter by her side.

Carol will be most remembered for her bright smile and contagious bold laugh that would ignite any room or gathering. She was simply at her best talking and laughing with family and friends, and would never hesitate to have a good conversation with a stranger. She enjoyed people - the more the merrier. And summertime in Chicago was her season. She loved good company, good music, good food and a good drink, and shined at outdoor parties or gatherings.

She never stopped being curious and seeking out fun.

Born March 20, 1942, Carol was the eldest daughter and one of six children of Edmund and Alvina Charniak. The day she was born, as the story goes, a cow was pregnant and in labor at the same time as Alvina at the family farm in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Family members had fun placing bets on whether the cow or Alvina would give birth first. Carol came into the world first — already the life of the party.

Edmund and Alvina raised their six children in Chicago's Southside. Carol graduated from Chicago Vocational High School, went to work for a bank, and eventually met her future husband Donald Rutek. They married, moved to the idyllic suburb of La Grange, and raised two beautiful daughters, Karen and Donna.

It was a great time in Carol's life. She lived just blocks away from her best friends, who were also raising their children. Those were different times. There were block parties, Fourth of July gatherings, New Year's Eve get-togethers, and let's not forget Halloween. Carol thrived on it all. When her daughters were young she got involved in their school PTA, local elections, and the Pet Parade. She would go on to work for many years for one of her dear friends at a local candy store.

She was a fantastic cook and baker: The girls never went hungry. She mastered Polish staples like Polish sausage, sauerkraut and dumplings, but also regularly made such dishes like Chicken Paprikash, lasagna, or German Beef Rouladen. Her daughters' friends would invite themselves over for homemade taco night, or ask Carol to make them grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch (and yes, somehow they were the best!).

After her daughters were grown, and her marriage ended, she found happiness in travel, bargain shopping, and big bold southwestern jewelry. She spent the past 30 years loving the same man, who took her on many adventures. They went fishing, antiquing, researched her family's genealogy, and went wading into the ocean. She loved the waves and sand between her toes.

As health issues became apparent, she moved in with her daughter Karen and her two grandchildren, Maggie and Joey, in New Hampshire, where she spent her final years.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Edmund and Alvina Charniak; her oldest brother, Ronald [Adrian] Charniak; and her younger sister, Paulette Yurcisin. Survivors include her daughters Karen [fiance Patrick Harrington] Bellemore and Donna [Ray] Meese; her brothers, Robert [Carol] Charniak, Thomas Charniak, and Gene [Kathy] Charniak; her grandchildren, Margaret and Joey Bellemore; her aunt Bernice McDermid; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of services, Karen and Donna would like Carol's family and friends to go outside on this summer day and raise a glass to Carol and remember all the good times they shared with her.