Mary Celine Guglielmina Charbonneau was born on June 9, 1931 at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, California, and passed away on Feb. 3, 2024, in Huntington Beach, California.

Mary was the daughter of Henry Guglielmina and Agnes Christen Guglielmina. Her grandparents, Anton and Josephine Guglielmina and Edward and Mary Regli Christen, immigrated from Switzerland to the Ferndale, California, area in the 1880s. Both families owned and operated dairy ranches in Grizzly Bluff, east of Ferndale.

Mary grew up in Grizzly Bluff and graduated from Ferndale High School in 1949. Following graduation from Santa Rosa Junior College in 1953, Mary was employed at the Sonoma County Department of Social Services.


Mary’s brother, Len Guglielmina, introduced her to her future husband, Neal Charbonneau, when both men were stationed at Travis Air Force base in Fairfield. Mary and Neal were married on June 4, 1955, at the Assumption Catholic Church in Ferndale. Upon Neal’s discharge from the Air Force, they lived in Sacramento, where Neal attended and graduated from Sacramento State University. While living in Sacramento, the couple had three children: Janet, Paul and Philip.

Most of their married life was spent in Southern California, where they raised their family and owned and operated several successful restaurants. Mary and Neal were both active members of Simon and Jude Catholic Church in Huntington Beach.

Neal passed away in 2014. Mary was cared for by her son, Paul, during her long illness.

Mary is survived by her children Janet Fujiwara, of Bremerton, Washington; Paul Charbonneau, of Huntington Beach; and Philip Charbonneau and daughter-in-law Liz, of Powell, Ohio, and grandchildren Matthew Fujiwara, Amber Charbonneau and Alec Charbonneau. She is also survived by her sister Esther Guglielmina Allen and brother and sister-in-law Leonard and Janice Guglielmina.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Neal, parents Henry and Agnes Guglielmina, and brothers and sisters-in-law Lewis and Helen Guglielmina, Herbert and Irene Guglielmina, Gerald and Carol Guglielmina, brother-in-law Lowell Allen, son-in-law Michael Fujiwara, nieces Norma Bowman, Monica Guglielmina, Brook Westman, and many cousins, aunts and uncles.

Family and friends are invited to a memorial mass at Assumption Catholic Church in Ferndale on March 8, 2024, at 11 a.m.

Internment will be at Riverside National Cemetery at a later date.