Charlotte Murphy Bannan

April 24, 1933 - May 2, 2022 Charlotte Ann Mueller, daughter of Art and Irene Mueller, grew up in Lynwood, California with her younger brother, Dick. Charlotte loved to learn and always strived to be the best she could be. At an early age she embraced figure skating, winning a regional title in ladies' pairs skating, and developing the courage, work ethic and grace that would anchor her life. After graduating with honors from South Gate High School, she attended University of Southern California (USC). There she was proud to be affiliated with the Delta Gamma sorority and earned a scholarship to study abroad in Lausanne, Switzerland her junior year. The experience took her out of her comfort zone and fueled a lifelong passion for travel that she imparted to her six children. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Education from USC in 1955. Decades later, Charlotte received her Master's in Education from Cal State Los Angeles in support of her work as a bilingual teacher in the Los Angeles School District. Charlotte married Richard Anthony Murphy (Dick) in 1958, and Charlotte and Dick's great love produced six children. The work of her life was to raise her children to be happy and productive adults, especially after her husband's untimely passing in 1983. She treasured the spouses her children came to marry, and she gloried in the arrival and development of each of her twelve grandchildren. Charlotte was always there for her children with both solicited and unsolicited advice, delivered with her signature smile. She served as a magnet for her family, who rallied around her in good times and bad, feeding off her love and deepening their connections with each other. She married Bernard Jerome Bannan (Barney) in 1991, with whom she enjoyed much happiness, travel and adventure. Charlotte cherished her years with Barney and the extensive Bannan clan. Charlotte celebrated and nurtured her close friendships. Over the years, she participated in many bridge groups, loved her weekly Mahjong and daily dominoes and enjoyed playing golf, tennis and almost any game always taking things seriously, but never too much so. More than anything else, she enjoyed the garden. She worked diligently to hone her gardening and flower arranging skills, delighted in competing and judging, and she treasured her affiliation with the Pasadena Garden Club. Charlotte approached every challenge she faced with her strong and silent faith, a spirit of openness and a sense of ownership in shaping her outcomes. Whether, surviving the death of her spouses, relearning to speak and read after a stroke, or living with the progressive lung disease that she battled for many years, she consistently modeled grit and grace, always finding a way forward, one foot in front of the other, without compromising her principles. Charlotte is survived by her six children Anne Kelley (Gary d. 2000), Maura Hoss (Martino), Katy Varellas (Lance), Elizabeth Anderson (Paul), Rex Murphy (Julie), Jim Murphy (Allison); 12 grandchildren: Henry Anderson, Taylor Hoss, Charlotte Anderson, Clare Varellas, Annie Varellas, Burke Hoss, JJ, Brock and Bridget Murphy and Trey, Evan and Charlie Murphy. She is predeceased by her parents Arthur and Irene Mueller; her first husband and the father of her children, Richard Anthony Murphy (d. 1983); her second husband Bernard Jerome Bannan (d. 1997); and her brother, Dr. Richard Arthur Mueller (d.2019). All who knew Charlotte will miss the warmth of her beautiful smile that lit up every room. The funeral will be held on Friday, May 27 at 3:30 pm at Holy Family Church, 1501 Fremont Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Rev. Lawrence B. Murphy, SJ '45 Scholarship Fund at Loyola High School, 1901 S. Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90006.