Obituary of Charlotte Podesta

Charlotte Amelia Wilson Podesta died quietly in the midst of family and friends in Santa Cruz, California on November 16, 2013. She was 77 years of age. Though she lived in Santa Cruz for 60 years exactly, in many ways, Charlotte never left Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Her love for the Grand Tetons, the lakes, the history and her heritage was equal to her appreciation of the ambiance of the California coastline. Most of all, she lived for the love of friends and family from the time her parents, Glen L and Ruth Vail Wilson, departed with her and the other family members from Jackson Hole in 1952. Her closest friends near the end of her life were Dennis Burris and Claire Main, deserving of mention here, as they stood by her side throughout joyful and difficult times alike. Having worked many years in the food and beverage service industry as a waitress, her expertise peaked as she managed the world-renowned Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola, California, owned by her partner and best friend, Frank Podesta until the late-1980s. More recently, Charlotte was a creative home-healthcare professional, with a dedication for bringing joy to her hosts with outstanding cooking and nutritional expertise. "Char was extremely intelligent!" declares her surviving sisters and brother, Sally Wilson Dalton (John) of Fairview, Utah, Glen Douglas Wilson of Pavillion, Wyoming and Glenna Wilson Heller of Soquel, California. "She should have been on *Jeopardy* - she knew nearly every question to every answer, and actually *completed* the *New Yorker* crossword puzzle weekly." Her love of friends and family was possibly surmounted by only one other love: Her extreme caring for animals - from wild to domesticated, she was a life-long supporter and humane advocate. In memorial, Charlotte will be greatly missed. Acknowledgments will be made in an informal garden gathering at the home of Little Sister Glenna Heller in Soquel, California November 30, 2013. RSVPs will be accepted and an address will be provided by calling 831-334-3838. If you would like to offer condolences to Charlotte's family, share your memories and light a candle in her honor, please visit www.scmemorial.com