Charleen Rae (Barker) Stanfield

Charleen Rae Stanfield, 82, of Defiance, died Friday, February 7, 2025 at CHP Defiance Inpatient Hospice Center.  

She was born on September 28, 1942, to Harry and Florence (Pocock) Barker in Defiance. On September 14, 1963, she married Donald Charles Stanfield, who survives. She was a 1961 graduate of Defiance High School and a graduate of the Lima School of Practical Nursing. She was a LPN and retired from Twin Rivers Nursing Home in Defiance. Charleen was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Defiance. In 1961, an article on May 3rd in the Toledo Blade reported that Charleen was the first high school student in Defiance to have artwork accepted in the Toledo Area Artists Exhibition. Charleen loved to bake and was a multiple winner of Defiance’s Johnny Appleseed Festival pie-baking contest. She treasured their summer lake location at Manapogo Park in Orland, IN., and spent many evenings playing games and listening to 1950s, 60s and jazz music until late in the evenings with her husband, children, grandchildren and numerous friends. She greeted many people with her beautiful smile; she loved to be with family and friends and joked many times that she considered a trip to the grocery store as a “social event.” Charleen was fiercely kind. She worried for those she loved so much that her presence will always be felt by all those that had the pleasure of knowing her. 

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Donald; a daughter, Lisa (Mark) Froelich, of Defiance; and four sons: Chris (Sandy), of Defiance; Brad (Deb), of Bryan; Matt (Della), of Maumee; and Nick (Amanda), of Maumee; 11 grandchildren: Allison (JanLuc) DeBoer, of Chicago; Aubrey (Emilio) Lopez, of Stafford, VA.; Connor Stanfield, of Defiance; Shannon Melton (& DJ Guilford) and Heather (Mike) Shadbolt, both of Bryan; Lindsay (Jake) Estle of Defiance; Lea Froelich (& fiance, Jake Eberly), of Toledo; Gena Stanfield, of Maumee; Ryan Stanfield, William, and Maecy Baker, all of Maumee; 11 great-grandchildren: Noah, Marin and Griffin DeBoer, of Chicago; Ezra Lopez, of Stafford, VA.; Trae Guilford, Chasity, Cameron, Ashton, John Shadbolt, all of Bryan; and Cameron and Carson Estle, of Defiance. She is also survived by a sister Lee Ann (Brian) Overmyer, of Zephyrhills, FL.

She is preceded in death by her parents and sister, Pamela Kerr. 

Visitation will be Sunday, February 9, from 2-8 p.m. at Schaffer Funeral Home South, Lawson-Roessner Chapel, (1753 South Clinton Street) in Defiance, OH 43512. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, February 10 at 11 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Defiance, with Fr. David Cirata officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Riverside Cemetery, Defiance. 

The family would like to thank the compassionate caregivers at CHP Defiance Inpatient Hospice Center, The Laurels of Defiance, Mercy Health - Defiance Hospital, and Becky Metz for their quality care of Charleen. 

Preferred memorials are to Holy Cross Catholic School or St. John’s Catholic the Evangelist Catholic Church, both in Defiance. Online condolences can be given at www.Schafferfh.com

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