Charlene (Tobey) Burns

April 11, 1955 - December 6, 2021

SCHENECTADY - Charlene (Tobey) Burns, age 66, died on December 6th in Schenectady after a long illness. She was born in Schenectady, where she met and married her childhood sweetheart, Bill Burns. She later moved to Rotterdam, graduated from Schalmont High School, and then moved to California with her husband. She received her A.A. in Art History from Santa Monica Community College in 2003. For the past 18 years, she has lived in Schenectady. During the 35 years she worked with the disabled, Charlene fiercely advocated for those who could not advocate for themselves, and she cared deeply for everyone she took care of and worked with. She retired from her job with New York State in 2018 due to her unexpected illness. She was also an animal lover, frequently taking in stray cats and dogs. An avid reader, Charlene was known by school librarians as the student who had read the entire library.She was also a talented artist and knowledgeable art historian who loved visiting art museums and collecting anything featuring Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting. Charlene also enjoyed rock concerts and boogie boarding with her daughter at the beach. We are thankful to everyone who made her happy, and we will forever miss her contagious laugh as well as her loving presence, kindness, humor, creativity, and intelligence. Charlene is survived by her devoted daughter, Christine Armstrong; grandchildren Cameron, Maxden, and Logan; father, Dix Tobey; sisters, Sandra Parker and Karen (Brian) Steele; brothers, David (Robin) Tobey and Brad Thornton; niece Katelyn Tobey; nephews Steven Thornton, Brandon Tobey, Drake Steele, Colin Steele, Dylan Parker, Michael Burns, and Matthew Burns; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Burns, and her mother, Alice Abriel Tobey. Services are postponed due to the pandemic. To be added to the list for notification of future services, please email Sandra Parker at [email protected] If desired, friends can donate to the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Library Association.