Charlotte Lillian Mai

Charlotte L. Mai died peacefully on the morning of January 23, 2023, with her loving husband, Howard, at her side. Although she will be greatly missed, Charlotte leaves a legacy of love, strength, and dedication to her friends, family, and former students whose lives she touched throughout the years.
Charlotte Lillian Boxberger was born on August 2, 1934, in WaKeeney, Kansas, to Emanuel ("Boxie") and Lottie (Summers) Boxberger. Charlotte's family moved to Denver when she was a child so that her father could seek better opportunities for employment. In 1945, when Charlotte's maternal uncle, John Summers, became one of many American soldiers to die on a beach in Normandy during the Allied D-Day invasion of France, it broke his mother's heart, and so Charlotte's family moved back to WaKeeney to be near her grandmother and allow the family to mourn their tragic loss together.
Charlotte loved attending the one-room school near her aunt's farm. She enjoyed music, played clarinet in her high school band, and also played the piano. She worked as a "soda jerk" at Cleland Drug Store in WaKeeney. She was a good student and was well-liked by her classmates. Charlotte and a handsome young man named Howard Mai began dating as high school sweethearts, the beginning of a love story that lasted for more than seven decades. Following graduation from Trego Community High School, Charlotte and Howard both attended Fort Hays State University, where Charlotte earned an elementary teacher's certificate. She loved to play tennis and was very good at it. Although there was not a women's tennis team at her high school or college, she won the tennis championship for women at Fort Hays State.
Howard and Charlotte were married on August 15, 1954, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in WaKeeney. Charlotte began her teaching career at country schools near Hays and Russell, Kansas. During her first year, she had three students in different grades. In her second year, she taught the upper three grades while another teacher (who, incidentally, was also named Mrs. Mai) taught the lower grades.
After Howard was drafted into the Army in 1957, they lived in Dallas, Texas, where Charlotte worked as a secretary for an oil company. On August 25, 1959, they welcomed a baby daughter, Janet Lorraine Mai. In June of 1960, the young family moved to Lakewood, Colorado. While Howard worked at the University of Denver, Charlotte cared for Janet during the day and took classes at the university in the evenings. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Elementary Education over the next few years.
Charlotte sold encyclopedias and was an "Avon Lady" during the years that she was a stay-at-home mom with Janet. Once Janet started school, Charlotte worked at the Colorado State Capitol as a Visitor's Aide, giving tours of the building and arranging for constituents to meet with their legislators. She also enjoyed volunteering at the Molly Brown House, where she dressed in Victorian attire to give tours to visitors.
Charlotte returned to her chosen occupation as a teacher when Janet went to school. She taught in Lakewood at Rose A. Stein Elementary and then at Dennison Elementary until she retired. Throughout her teaching career, she taught upper elementary classes. Her favorite was fourth grade. "Mrs. Mai" was known as a creative, engaged, dedicated teacher, and was a favorite of many of her students, some of whom kept in touch with her for many years after leaving her classroom. With the help of a classroom parent, Charlotte's students created a Colorado-themed quilt which hung as an exhibit at the State Capitol for several weeks.
Charlotte loved spending time in the mountains, and she and Howard enjoyed their timeshare condominium in Vail, and then their condominium on Lake Dillon. Following Charlotte's retirement, she and Howard delighted in the "snowbird" life at a condominium in Mesa, Arizona, and then bought a house in Gold Canyon, Arizona. Howard's sister, Edith, and her husband, Walter Mabry, were also in Arizona during the winter months and they spent many happy hours (and many "Happy Hours!") together.
Not long after Charlotte's retirement, Howard had a stroke and lost the use of the right side of his body, but fortunately his cognition and sense of humor were left intact. Charlotte assumed the role of caregiver and chauffeur and made the long drives to Arizona and back for many years. She used the time on the road to work on memory exercises. She could recite the names of U.S. Presidents in order and could list all the states alphabetically-forward and backward!
Growing up in a small Kansas farming community with German Russian heritage, Charlotte learned to be practical and frugal, but she was also kind and generous to others. She was a member of Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lakewood and supported many church projects. The Denver Dumb Friends League, Habitat for Humanity, Lutheran Family Services, and the Jeffco Action Center were among her favorite charities. She raised lovely flowers in her backyard, wrote everything from letters to shopping lists in beautiful calligraphy, and spoiled her canine children-Tia, Kieri, and Tiffany-every chance that she could.
Charlotte met challenges in life with inner strength and faith. Whether it was growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, raising and advocating for a child with special needs, surviving breast cancer, caring for her husband after a stroke, or facing a difficult diagnosis with a poor prognosis later in her life, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work doing whatever needed to be done. She always seemed spry and full of energy, able to run circles around the rest of us. Heaven surely must be a bit more organized with Charlotte there!
Charlotte is survived by her husband of 68 years, Howard L. Mai, and her daughter, Janet L. Mai, both of Lakewood, Colorado; her sister-in-law Betty Mai of Topeka, Kansas; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Emanuel and Lottie Boxberger; a sister, Donna Boxberger; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Emil (Sam) and Patty Mai; Clarence Mai; LeRoy and Myrna Mai; and Edith and Walter Mabry.
A graveside service will be held at the WaKeeney Cemetery in WaKeeney, Kansas, on Friday, February 10, at 1:30 PM. Following the service, there will be time to greet family, share memories, and celebrate Charlotte's life at the community room in the Western Electric building, 635 S. 13th Street in WaKeeney. Donations in Charlotte's memory may be made to the Denver Dumb Friends League in Denver, Colorado, or Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Colorado.