Ida Charlene Grzyb Obituary
Ida Charlene "Charlie" (Pinkerton) Grzyb, 80, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully from natural causes on July 7, 2026, surrounded by some of her family. Charlie was born on December 5, 1945, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Robert Elbert Pinkerton and Hazel Iona Funk.
She graduated from South Mountain High School in Phoenix as part of the Class of 1963.
On May 18, 1974, she married the love of her life, Dennis Grzyb, in Phoenix, Arizona, beginning a partnership and friendship that would define the rest of her life.
Charlie worked as a file clerk at ACB in Phoenix for nearly a decade before choosing to devote herself fully to her family, becoming a stay-at-home mother and, later, a cherished grandmother—known to her grandchildren as "Grammy"—a role she held with her whole heart until her death.
She was a woman of remarkable intellect and conviction, as comfortable holding forth in an hours-long philosophical conversation as she was at the sewing machine, handcrafting her children's Halloween costumes. She served as a homeroom mother, a field trip chaperone, and a Scout cookie and camp mother, always showing up for her kids. Charlie was open-hearted and open-minded—welcoming of all people regardless of faith, color, or gender—and she extended that same acceptance to many of her children's friends over the years, folding them into her family as her own. She loved each of her family members fiercely and uniquely, in ways too distinct and too deep to ever be compared to one another.
Outside of family, Charlie found joy in reading, sewing, photography, drawing and graphic art—including turning her own photographs into kaleidoscope designs—genealogy, and camping. She also loved solving puzzles, playing Nintendo and Atari games, and taking road trips and attending car shows with her family. She was a formidable Scrabble player, usually walking away the winner. An avid computer user, she spent hours online, where she built many cherished friendships and enjoyed connecting with others. She was passionate in her views and resolute in her beliefs, and she brought that same passion to everything and everyone she loved.
Charlie was preceded in death by her beloved husband and best friend, Dennis Grzyb; her parents, Robert and Hazel Pinkerton; her sisters, Sandra Lee and Loree Eileen; her brothers, Raymond Edwin and Richard Allen; her step-grandson, Ezekiel James Mitchell; several nieces and nephews; and many cherished family pets.
She is survived by her children, Brittany Noel (Pinkerton) Mitchell (husband William), Dennis John Grzyb II (wife Nicole), Breanne Marie Grzyb, and Michael Joseph Grzyb (fiancé Tyler); her adored grandchildren, Cody Brezinski, Shawn Grzyb, and Kira Grzyb; her step-grandchildren, Ruth and Trinity Mitchell; her younger brother, Robert Pinkerton; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her sweet family pet, Zoey.
Charlie's memory will live on in the costumes she made, the photographs she took, the family trees she traced, and—above all—in the boundless, unmistakable way she loved.
A private celebration of her life for her family and friends will be organized at a later date.
