A very selfless and caring physician, mother, wife, daughter and sister, Dr. Charlene Annette Sennett, age 62, died in the The Universtiy of Chicago Hospital, March 23, 2015 after several months of illness. She suffered a stroke while awaiting a heart transplant.

Dr. Sennett was well known throughout the medical center and the Chicago area as a thoughtful and talented clinician, dedicated educator and fierce advocate for her patients. She was also an effective and popular teacher for medical students, radiology residents, research fellows and established physicians.

Born in Crawfordsville, IN on September 25, 1952, daughter of Izetta Lasley Sennett and the late Merle R. Sennett. Charlene A. Sennett graduated from Waynetown High School and studied to become a nurse at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. She earned her B.S. in nursing with "high distinction," followed by a master's degree in cardiopulmonary physiology from the University of Washington in 1977.

She practiced as a nurse for several years, and continued to work as a nurse in an acute cardiovascular unit while attending medical school at the University of Oklahoma, where she won awards for "greatest scholarly attitude in medicine" and for "outstanding academic achievement." Her husband, who she met while working at Purdue University, did his PhD research and kept her happily fed while she distinguished herself in the classroom. She graduated in 1986 with "outstanding distinction" after spending her final year of medical school with her husband in Calgary, Canada. She came to the University of Chicago as a resident that summer and was chief resident in 1989-90.

She returned to the University of Chicago in 2002 as an assistant professor of radiology. She was promoted to associate professor in 2011, and served as interim section chief of breast imaging from 2011 through 2014. During that time, her team was designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.

Her life was dedicated to her family, friends, and patients. She continued to think of others through the last hours of her life, and was loved by everyone from the x-ray technicians in the hospital to her Sennett family, many of whom stayed with her in the hospital.

At the time of her death, Dr. Sennett was surrounded by her family: her husband H. Rodney Holmes, their daughter, Robin Holmes, and son, Kyle Holmes. She is also survived by her mother Izetta Lasley Sennett, Crawfordsville, a brother: Clark (Nancy) Sennett of Waynetown and two sisters: Carolyn (Darrel) Elijah of Florida and Mary (Jeff) Mason of Zionsville. Several nieces and nephews also survive. She was preceded in death by her father Merle R. Sennett.

Her family will receive guests, Saturday, March 28, 2014, 1:30 – 3:15 p.m EST at Family & Friends Funeral Home of Wingate. (9700 State Road 55 North, Wingate, IN 47994). Funeral services will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m. EST with Pastors Amy Millenburg and John Booth officiating. Private family interment will follow in Waynetown Masonic Cemetery. Her family prefers memorials in her memory may best be directed to www.cancersupportcenter.org with envelopes available at the funeral home. This is in recognition of her being one the country's leading mammographers, who specialized in educating young physicians and working with women with breast cancer. To share a memory or leave a condolence, visit us online at www.familyandfriendsfh.com