Charles "Chuck" Walton Pearson

     Charles “Chuck” Walton Pearson, a proud United States Naval Officer, was fond of saying he would be happy to accept his new orders when God was ready for him. He received those orders and reported for heavenly duty on Friday, February 9, 2024. He passed away peacefully at the age of 87 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, surrounded by the love of his family. He is survived by his devoted wife of almost 56 years, Ellie, son Scott (Duska), daughter Andrea (Matt), and grandchildren Annika, Gretchen, Ingrid, Tyler, and Lauren. He was a man of great faith, fiercely independent, always finding the positive in any situation, who fought hard to the very end.

     Chuck was born to Elvera and Walter Pearson on June 23, 1936, in Melrose Park, Illinois. Although he was an only child, he was surrounded by caring and affectionate parents and doted on by his Aunt Lilian and Uncle Orvis Wilson. He grew up in Maywood, IL, but his real home was Ephraim, Door County, Wisconsin. During World War II, Elvera and Lillian brought him to Ephraim because “there is no safer place to be during a war”. He enjoyed countless summers in the quaint little town, rabble-rousing with Eddie Valentine and the gang. While working as a dishwasher at the Anderson Hotel, they ferried a piano to Horseshoe Island, and gathered up all the waitresses in the county for what must have been a party for the ages.

     Chuck graduated from Proviso High School in 1954, spending his first year at Purdue University. He transferred to University of Wisconsin - Madison, where he graduated as a proud Badger in 1958, with a major in electrical engineering, and a minor in English. At Madison, Chuck was a member of the Polygon Board, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers - Institute of Radio Engineers, (A.I.E.E.-I.R.E.), and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity, where he met his lifelong friend, Bill Thompson, and famously rode a piano down State Street.

     Following graduation, Chuck attended Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and set off on a series of adventures. He served overseas tours as a surface warfare officer stationed in Europe, aboard a minesweeper in the Mediterranean, and in the Congo, Africa. He also loved literature and took a pilgrimage to Spain to follow in the steps of Don Quixote.

     His carefree bachelor days came to an abrupt end when he met Ellie at a jazz concert in Sandberg Village, Chicago, Illinois. The two fell head over heels. Ellie was especially impressed that when a flat tire looked to derail their first date, he jumped right out and changed it, not even mussing his suit. Chuck masterfully engineered incredible dates flying his 310 to Meigs Field to whisk Ellie away from work and zoom off to Door County. A year later the Lovebirds were married in Vero Beach, Florida in 1968.

     After almost losing Ellie during pregnancy, God blessed the couple by bringing Dr. Mel Gerbie into their lives, who helped facilitate the adoption of Scott in 1969, and Andrea in 1977. The proudest Pop in the world, he was known to talk anyone and everyone’s ear off about the accomplishments of his kids, and grandkids, whose ears were constantly burning.

     A self-described Ham Radio nerd, Chuck loved engineering and communications, and chatting with people around the globe as KE9KV. He earned his PMD from Harvard University in 1979. He was a natural entrepreneur, founding several businesses including Fortel, ONEAC, and Sphere Communications, with many of his products still in use today. Always the engineer and innovator, he continued consulting until the very end. Whether it was providing advice for new business ventures, planning for the Village of Ephraim, or bringing streaming services to Bethany Lutheran Church, he worked tirelessly. He never could get the hang of retirement life because “there were just too many old people.”  Chuck was happiest aboard a boat, often braving the worst seas to cross Lake Michigan every summer, or cruising around the Gulf of Mexico in Naples, FL in the winter months. 

     Chuck was immensely grateful to his team of hematologists, oncologists, surgeons, physicians, and nurses at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Holy Family Hospital in Manitowoc, and Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay.

     A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. at the Ephraim Moravian Church, 9970 Moravia St, Ephraim WI, on Monday, February 19, 2024. Chuck will be laid to rest in the Moravian Cemetery in his beloved Ephraim. A celebration of life will follow this summer.

     In lieu of flowers, donations in Chuck's memory can be made to Kathy’s House in Milwaukee, who provided him with caring support during treatment, or the Door County Medical Center, who provided compassionate care in the final days of his life.

     Casperson Funeral Home is assisting the Pearson family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Chuck may be shared with his family through his tribute page at www.caspersonfuneralhome.com.

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