Dr. Charlene M. Sprankel, 90, formerly of Decatur, went home to be with the Lord at 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at Heartland Healthcare Center, Champaign.

Charlene was born June 12, 1925, in Waterloo, daughter of the late Charles and Hulda Sprankel (nee Fauss).

Charlene graduated in 1943 from Waterloo High School as valedictorian of her class. She received her bachelor’s degree in Education from Southern Illinois University, her Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Illinois and her Ph.D. in Education from Southern Illinois University.

Charlene was a teacher for 42 years in the schools of Illinois, including Rantoul Elementary School, Niles Township High School, the University of Illinois, Chicago State University, and Southern Illinois University. She finished her career as a Professor of Mathematics at Richland Community College in Decatur, retiring in 1989. She was a beloved math teacher of thousands of students.

Charlene was a member of Maranatha Assembly of God Church, the Civil War Round Table, the German-American Club, and the Investment Club, all of Decatur. She loved to play the piano and organ, playing at nursing homes and special events for many years. She was a member of several honor societies including Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an honor society for women educators; Kappa Delta Pi, an honorary education fraternity; Pi Mu Epsilon, an honorary mathematics fraternity; and Sigma Delta Epsilon, a fraternity for women in science. Charlene was a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Illinois Mathematics Association for Community Colleges and the Association for Women in Mathematics, and was in the Who’s Who of American Education and the Who’s Who of American Women.

She is survived by her nieces Christine (Jim) Gunther of Mahomet and Karen (Jeff) Colvill of Columbus, Ind.; great-nephew Stephen (Olivia) Colvill of Chicago; great-nieces Jennifer Colvill of Atlanta, Ga., and Jamie Gunther of Mahomet; and brother-in-law Paul Smith of Urbana.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Ruth Smith.

A visitation and funeral services were Aug. 1, at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, Urbana.

Interment followed at Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Grace Bible Church of Urbana or to the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Condolences may be offered at Renner-WikoffChapel.com.