Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Charles Joseph Semo Sr.

IRONWOOD, Mich. - Charles Joseph Semo Sr., 69, of Ironwood, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, at home with his loving family by his side following a courageous battle with cancer.

Charlie was born July 5, 1953, in Ironwood, the son of Joseph R. Sr. and Mary Lou Semo. Charlie attended local grade schools and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1972. He then attended automotive trade school at Gogebic Community College.

He married Alana Levijoki on Sept. 8, 1973. They later divorced. On June 17, 1989, he married Deborah Brannas in Ironwood, and they made their home in Ironwood.

Charlie worked as an auto mechanic most of his life and had a garage in Wakefield, B & C Skelly, with his brother, Bob, for several years. He also worked at Gotta Motors in Ironwood as an auto mechanic for years and as a car salesman for Ironwood Motors, Northwest Auto and Red's Auto.

He was a wonderful guy who would help anyone who needed it. Over the years, he would plow snow for all the neighbors and never ask for money. He felt they could give him money if they could afford it for gas. He loved his family and was a wonderful son, husband, father, grandfather and brother.

Charlie loved to hunt and enjoyed being out at his hunting camp more than anything. He would start going out to camp in August and continue almost every weekend in the fall until it was the deer hunting season in November. He looked forward to that time every year. He also was an avid NASCAR fan and would never miss a race during the season. He loved football and was an avid Green Bay Packers fan.

Gardening was one of his pastimes at home, and he loved caring for all the family graves at the cemetery. He always wanted to put live plants at the cemetery since he always said his Grandma Semo would come back from the grave and haunt him if artificial flowers were placed on her grave. He was a big country music fan, but he only liked the old country and said the new country wasn't really country music.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Debbie; son, Charlie Jr., of Ironwood Township; granddaughter, Brynn Semo of Ironwood Township; brothers, Robert Semo Sr. of Ironwood and Joseph Semo Jr., of Gleason, Wisconsin; sisters, Mary (Brian) Stella, Joanne (Ryan) Kovales, Rae Semo and Anne (Sam) Davey III, all of Ironwood; nieces and nephews, Brian (Tina) Stella of Ironwood, Dan (Tara) Stella of Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, Angela (Scott) Brogan of Ironwood, Sam Davey IV of Ironwood, Jill (Gary) Walker of Maryville, Tennessee, Robert Semo Jr. of Ironwood, John (Gina) Semo of Ironwood and Paul (Jenny) Semo of Rhinelander, Wisconsin; Aunt Betty Semo and Aunt Helen Lawver of West Allis, Wisconsin; great-nieces and great-nephews, Brittany, Lexie, Tony, Jack, and Gianna; great-great-nephew, Grayson; many cousins; and his dogs, Zoey and Bella; and cats, Luna and Lily.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Mary Lou Semo; his maternal grandparents, Celestin "Lefty" and Margaret "Peg" Trier; paternal grandparents, John and Mary Semo; his in-laws, Byron and Geraldine Brannas; and many aunts and uncles.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church at 11 a.m. with Fr. Brian Gerber as celebrant, preceded by a visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass.

Inurnment will take place in the spring at Riverside Cemetery in Ironwood.

In lieu of flowers, condolences may be sent to Deborah Semo, 513 Florence St., Ironwood, MI 49938.

A special thank you to Northwest Cancer Center in Ashland, Wisconsin, and Regional Hospice. Also, a very special thank you to Charlie's brother, Bob, for taking him to all his out-of-town doctor's appointments and surgeries and for always going out to camp with him this past year since he didn't want Charlie to be out there by himself.

The family has chosen McKevitt-Patrick Funeral to honor Charlie's legacy of life. You can leave a condolence or a tribute a mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.