The Shorewood community was saddened to learn of the loss of actress Charlotte (Lubotsky) Rae, who passed away on Sunday, August 5, 2018. She was a 1944 graduate of Shorewood High School.
Charlotte Lubotsky's love of music, dance, and drama developed at an early age, which caused the 1944 Copperdome yearbook to note that she took her “hobbies” very seriously. She sang with the Glee Club, wrote and performed monologues for student assemblies, and late in her career, performed on the Shorewood stage in the drama “Quality Street.” She also performed with community theaters in the area.
She attended Northwestern University’s drama program and, while working in radio and theater in the Chicago area, began using her stage name, Charlotte Rae. After graduation, she moved to New York where she eventually played on Broadway and performed with the New York Shakespeare Festival. She is best remembered for her portrayal as the original Mammy Yokum in the musical “L’il Abner.”
“We are saddened by the loss of Charlotte Rae, and our thoughts are with her family and friends,” said Superintendent Bryan Davis. “We are very proud to call her a graduate of Shorewood High School, and she will always remain an inspiration to our students.”
Charlotte Rae was honored with a Shorewood Tradition of Excellence Award in 2004. The Tradition of Excellence Awards were established in 2000 to recognize distinguished Shorewood graduates. A plaque hangs in the library at Shorewood High School in honor of her.