Charlotte Guisti passed away peacefully in her home on May 8, 2021 at the age of 84.
Charlotte was the daughter of Erven and Charlotte Samsel and was born March 18, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts. She is predeceased by her loving husband Ralph P. Guisti, Sr. and her daughters Dianne (Guisti) Roberts and Jill Guisti. Her son Ralph P. Guisti, Jr. resides in Belchertown, MA with his wife Tatiana Minina.
Charlotte was raised in Norfolk Massachusetts as the oldest of six children- Harold Samsel, Arthur Samsel, Georganne (Samsel) Muise, Erven Samsel, and Preston Samsel. She graduated from Walpole High School in the class of 1954 and received a degree from Framingham State College. She eventually settled in Attleboro Massachusetts where she brought up her three children and managed the bookkeeping for her husband’s lifelong construction business. Charlotte relocated with her family to Lake George, New York in 1970 and remained there until her father Erven’s passing in 1976, when she moved back to Norfolk to care for her mother Charlotte.
Charlotte was a new hire at the Wrentham State Hospital in the late 1970’s and after receiving a Civil Service examination grade of 100 percent, she rapidly advanced to the position of Treasurer within her second year and managed their state budget and payroll for nearly a thousand employees until she retired. Charlotte found a love for her Savior Jesus during her time at Wrentham State, and attended Christian Life Center in Walpole, Massachusetts regularly. Charlotte had a beautiful voice which was recognized early in her life through musical performances at Walpole High School. Her vocal talents were put to good use as a member of the Christian Life Center choir, where she sang several solos to the delight of her family and church members. Charlotte was the FIRST member of her immediate family to accept the Good News of Jesus and the cross, and through love and persistence, she eventually saw her husband, children and grandchildren all accept the gospel message. Charlotte and her husband helped to raise her daughter Dianne’s children- Taryn (Deneault) Flagg, Bret Denault and Jacob Roberts in Norfolk, but then relocated to Bellingham, Massachusetts in 1986 with her daughter Jill, Dianne and her grandchildren.
Charlotte’s husband Ralph Sr. retired from the construction industry in the late 80’s and they jointly founded 10-4 Ministries, a Christian non-profit serving the homeless population of Boston from 1988 until 1995 when Ralph Sr. passed. Charlotte was known to prepare 200 or more sandwiches daily that were distributed to the homeless generally outside Government Center in Boston. Charlotte and her husband Ralph utilized their entire life savings to feed the homeless and never missed an opportunity to share the gospel message of Christ with the homeless and friends alike. In the early 90’s, were you to question any of the homeless of Boston about 10-4, they would immediately acknowledge Ralph and Charlotte and their call to God’s work there.
Charlotte remained in her home in Bellingham over the next several years where she lived with her daughter Jill and spent time enjoying her grandchildren- her daughter Dianne’s children: Taryn (Deneault) Flagg, Bret Deneault and Jacob Roberts and her son Ralph’s children: Ralph Guisti III, Rachel Guisti, Timothy Guisti and Emily Guisti. Charlotte was always very open about sharing her Christian faith and her love for God with her family and friends.
Charlotte moved back to her hometown of Norfolk, Massachusetts where she lived in senior housing for the last years of her life. Residents of her apartment complex could attest to her love for Jesus and her eagerness to share the gospel with her neighbors through bible studies she held in her home there. Charlotte enjoyed visits from her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Abby and Emily Flagg, Brayden and Greyson Deneault and Samuel Brandon while living in Norfolk. (Our family is truly thankful for the housing authority staff and neighbors she became friends with there. You all made her final years and days a blessing).
I’d like to quote Taryn (Deneault) Flagg regarding Charlotte and her life and believe this summarizes all that was important to her:
“...If you knew her, it was impossible to not also know about her love for her savior Jesus… I envy the depth of her relationship with Jesus and her life of absolute surrender to His will. It was sometimes easy to just see her as “Grandma” who we loved and had fun with, and to forget the human that she was beyond that grandmotherly love. She lived a life of immense sacrifice and sincere love for God’s children, young and old, rich or poor. I will be forever thankful to have had the opportunity to spend 37 years with my Grandmother. She and my Grandfather were the most committed Christians I’ve ever had a personal relationship with. Their desire to serve God in all they did was unending”.
No services are planned at this time.
Arrangements are under the care of the Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin (www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com).