Annamarie Portillo's Obituary
CHARLESTON, IL - Annamarie Portillo, age 58 of Charleston, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 14, 2016 at the Evergreen Nursing and Rehab Center in Effingham. Visitation for family and friends will be held from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 17, 2016 at Adams Funeral Chapel in Charleston. Services honoring and celebrating her life will begin at Noon on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at the funeral chapel with Pastor Tom Skinner officiating. Burial will follow in Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Mattoon. It is requested that thoughtful donations in her honor be made to the American Cancer Society. Gifts may be left on the memorial table at the visitation or services, or may be mailed to Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 Shawnee Dr., Charleston, IL 61920. Annamarie was born September 24, 1958 in Charleston, IL to Billy and Suetta (Easter) Ward. Joseph Portillo was a young soldier stationed at Fort Campbell, who received a letter from a Sunday School Class. He made a trip to greet the young people who wrote that letter, met Anna, and the rest is history. They were united in marriage on January 19, 1996 in Champaign, IL and they have lovingly shared these past 20 years. Left to cherish her memory is her husband, Joey of Charleston; her children, Jakob Honn and wife Shannon of Oregon, Jarrick Honn and wife Fran and Jaydon Honn and wife Amanda, all of Charleston; her parents, Bill and Suetta Ward of Charleston; a sister, Cindra Stiff and husband Jimmy Ray of Philpot, KY and brother, Bob Ward of Mattoon; a sister-in-law, Leslie Patterson; 7 grandchildren who were the light of her life, Violette, Lilly, Jaxon, Avery, Abygayle, Elizabeth and Jaythan Joseph (JJ); and an extended family of nephews, nieces and cousins. She was predeceased by a brother, Mark Ward. Anna was a 1976 graduate of Charleston High School and furthered her education at Lake Land Jr. College. Anna's employment in the banking industry began at The Charleston National Bank as a teller, and her last position was with First Midwest Bank in the Chicago area as a Group Manager. She was always a hard worker, sometimes working a second job to earn extra money while instilling good work ethics in her sons. She was a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Charleston, Women of the Moose Charleston Chapter #1175 and through her employment was a member of the Champaign Chamber of Commerce. Anna's eye and skill for decorating was unmatched. Her home was always festively decorated (inside and out) for each and every season and holiday. Her skills were also utilized in creating wonderful displays at Benedicts Dept. Store located on the north side of the Charleston Square and later at various banks. She had many interests which included baton twirling and was a majorette whose football game halftime performances included twirling a fire baton. She enjoyed imparting those twirling skills to the young girls in "The Rainbow Riders" and marching in the many parades. She was a marvelous cook, proudly using many of her grandma's recipes and cooking in large quantities to feed her boys. She was a collector of dolls, especially Barbies of which she has more than 200, and her appreciation of them as gifts made it fun to search for and gift her with that special doll she did not have. Anna lived her life putting family and others first. She and Joey designed their home in order to offer a comforting and welcoming atmosphere to all who visited. It even became a second home to Cindy and Jimmy allowing them to spend more time and be involved with their Charleston family. Anna and Cindy were always close, vacationing, shopping, and spending holidays and quality time together. She loved her dog Kosmo (also known as JR), who was her faithful companion when Joey was deployed, and she tenderly cared for him until his death. Anna had a tremendous love for family and a generous and giving heart. She put a 110% into everything she did and never lost sight of her number one priority which was the welfare and parenting of her sons and sharing her love and affection for her grandchildren. She will be greatly missed but always lovingly remembered. Click to view Family Memorial Video. SERVICES Visitation Monday, October 17, 2016 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Adams Funeral Chapel 2330 SHAWNEE DR CHARLESTON, Illinois 61920 Funeral Service Tuesday, October 18, 2016 12:00 PM Adams Funeral Chapel 2330 SHAWNEE DR CHARLESTON, Illinois 61920
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