Chari Ann Mooney

In a final act of rebellion, Chari Mooney passed away on October 2nd, 2023, at the age of 68, after we told her not to. A woman who never yielded to the conventions of polite society, Chari strode through the tangled web of existence with the same indomitable spirit that defined the grittiest of hard-boiled detectives and leaves behind a trail of enigmatic stories that could fill the pages of her favorite novels.

Chari Ann Peterson shoved her way into this world on the crisp spring day of May 14, 1955. Like, she literally shoved her womb-mate, Gary, out of the way so she could be first to catch a glimpse of life’s grand spectacle. From her very first breath, she charted her own course. Born the fifth of six children to John Peterson and Lois Dieterle Peterson, Chari was a legend in her own right. With a mind as sharp as a switchblade, she confronted every puzzle she encountered in her relentless pursuit of adventure and fine Mexican cuisine.

A protagonist with a heart of gold, she helped the helpless, defended the defenseless, and gave voice to the voiceless. While many knew Chari as a Licensed Practical Nurse, those who truly knew her always suspected she had ties to a secretive 3-letter agency with an alleged Pocatello field office. She was rarely seen without a Diet Coke in hand, which some speculated was equipped with covert cameras and listening devices. Chari had an uncanny knack for asking the most pointed of questions and was such a good listener – a rare gift these days. She listened without judgement as she jotted tiny, cryptic notes in her “day planner” and passed them off discreetly to fellow operatives.

Her web of connections spanned from the shadowy depths of the city where secrets were shrouded in darkness to the highest echelons of foreign governments to “Bishop Scott’s” humble potato fields of east Idaho. Without anyone actually saying it, it has been said Chari left cigarette butts coded with lipstick stains as carefully planted evidence for her government handlers. And while her twin gets all the credit as a renowned pilot, Chari was actually the one who taught Grandma Harry how to fly.

She took pleasure in shooting rock chucks as a subtle message to her adversaries. She wore out her rocking chair watching Braves baseball games with an eye meticulously focused on deciphering codes concealed in the umpires’ hand signals. She also liked to fish and float Idaho’s rivers as a reprieve from the perilous back alleys of her everyday life.

Beneath her steely exterior, Chari possessed a heart as warm as the smoky glow of a city streetlamp. As a mother, she raised four children: Clayton (BarriLynn) Spaulding of Rathdrum, Idaho, Stephanie (Sam) Wilcox of Rigby, Idaho, Jake (Amy) Spaulding of Paul, Idaho, and Lindsay (Sage) Blom of Rigby, Idaho. She also raised a crap-ton of cats, dogs, and a couple of ferrets. When her children were young, Chari and her family briefly lived in Winnemucca, Nevada and should definitely get credit, even if posthumously, for doing so.

Chari was preceded in death by her parents, John Peterson and Lois Harry, and her husband, Bert Mooney. She is survived by her sisters Linda (Bruce) Spaulding of Rigby and Connie Bates of Idaho Falls, and her brothers John (Rose), Richard (Joan), and Gary (Nancy) Peterson, all of Idaho Falls. She leaves behind eleven grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and a collection of nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly. As we bid adieu to Chari Mooney, we do so with a mixture of reverence, admiration, and heavy hearts. Even through to her final chapters, Chari truly was a character larger than life itself with tenacity and compassion that will forever resonate in the pages of our lives.

Chari’s life will be celebrated with friends and family on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Menan Idaho LDS Stake Center (698 N 3600 E Menan ID 83434). A luncheon will be served following the service.