An Extraordinary Life: ‘We called him a modern day Jesus’

When Liz Bracy of California was 3 years old, her mother took her to the doctor to find out why she hadn’t started talking.

But whenever the doctor asked Liz a question, her older brother, Charlie Palmer, about 5 years old at the time, would answer. So the doctor suggested sending Charlie to his grandmother’s house on Hickory Street for a few hours each day.

Visiting his grandmother in that house became a cherished pastime of Charlie’s even before Liz, Charlie and their mother moved into that house 40 years ago, Liz said. The house had been in the family since 1918, and Charlie, who made it his lifelong home, loved to hear stories of how the house changed over the years.

“He wanted to restore it to the original so it could be listed as a historic landmark,” Liz said.

Heather Palmer of Joliet said Charlie always was remodeling the house and did it all, from stripping wallpaper to installing new ceilings. But that’s not why she called him “the greatest person I ever met” and “a person who brought life everywhere.”

“Charlie was really a loving person,” Heather said. “He was very kind. He was forgiving. He was not judgmental. He just accepted people for who they were, and, because of that, he collected quite a group of friends over the years.”

Heather said Charlie’s sudden death was “overwhelming” for her and that it was “heartwarming” how so many people paid wonderful tribute to him on social media. People trusted Charlie so much that if he “recommended someone for a job, that person was going to get the job based on Charlie’s word,” Heather said.

“He touched so many other people,” Heather said. “And even the people who didn’t deserve to be forgiven or treated with kindness, Charlie did that for them. ... no matter what kind of person anybody was or what kind of bind they could have gotten themselves in, Charlie was someone who was really good to talk to. He was a good listener. ... it’s just not very common to know people who are so free with their feelings and care for everybody. We called him a modern day Jesus.”

‘A Franciscan at heart’

Brother Ed Arambasich, chaplain of the Joliet Fire Department, called Charlie “a Franciscan at heart.” Brother Ed said he’d known Charlie since Charlie was a baby. Their respective grandparents were friends, and their mothers went to school with each other. Charlie attended the Cathedral of St. Raymond Catholic School, the former Joliet Catholic High School and always looked out for the underdog, Arambasich said.

Charlie loved Jesus and Mary, and was active in parish life at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Joliet, Brother Ed said. Charlie was an extraordinary [Eucharistic] minster, a reader, decorated the church for Christmas and Easter, and worked Bingo, the weekly food pantry and other events at the church.

Brother Ed said Charlie loved history, especially about Joliet. Charlie was the curator at the former P Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life in Joliet and took care of the poor and anyone in need. Charlie was generous and full of integrity, he said.

“He was a great example of what it meant to love all people where they were at in life, and to accept people for who they were, for what God created within them,” Brother Ed said. “A great man.”

‘An angel on earth’

Liz said Charlie “was friends with everybody.” He let people stay at his house. He gave people rides and helped people decorate their homes. He started a bike club, threw parties, called people on their birthdays and attended the wakes of anyone he knew that died.

He was kind to children, ran errands and “took care of things around the house” for an older woman in his neighborhood who had no family, Liz said.

“He was an angel on earth,” Liz said.

Charlie was rarely sad or angry, and anytime he was [it] quickly passed, Liz said. He was always smiling and laughing, and he lit up any room he entered, Liz said.

“He not only lit up the room, he actually warmed it up, too,” Liz said.

Rick Palmer of California, one of Charlie’s three brothers, said Charlie uplifted anyone who was down and never let it show when Charlie himself was down.

“He was always upbeat,” Rick said. “It was not about Charlie at all. He was here to make everybody be in a better place.”

‘The person you could lean on’

Candace Johnson, co-president of the Bicentennial Bluff Neighborhood Association, said Charlie was highly involved with the association and instrumental in rebranding it. He helped with neighborhood cleanups and “was crucial” to encouraging residents’ participation by “getting out and talking to them,” Candace said.

“He was the person you could lean on when you needed someone,” Candace said.

Charlie’s neighborhood was extremely important to him, Heather said.

“He wanted to help his community be tightly knit and he wanted everybody to be rallied together and proud of that community,” Heather said. “He wanted to see the neighborhood so close to his heart blossom and flourish.”

Ron Cornolo of Lockport, a friend of Charlie’s for 25 years, said he and Charlie texted back and forth several times and a day and took bike rides and vacations together.

He met Charlie for dinner at least once a week – after Ron picked up Charlie so that Charlie could run his own errands because Charlie did not have a car, Ron said.

Charlie was an election judge for many years, was knowledgeable on the paranormal and threw “outrageous” Halloween parties and “over-the-top” Christmas parties, Ron said.

But mostly, Charlie was the go-to person for people who simply needed to talk.

“I know for a fact he prevented a couple people from committing suicide,” Ron said. “He was just so easy to talk to.”

Charlie was 55 when he died Aug. 17. A celebration of Charlie’s life will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Croatian Cultural Club, 1503 Clement St. in Joliet.

“Anyone who knew him is free to stop by and remember this great guy who is going to be missed by a lot of people,” Ron said. “He is a big loss for Joliet, considering what he did for the community. Oh, yes, this gentleman will be missed.”

• To feature someone in “An Extraordinary Life,” contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.