Charles Allen Silence passed away on October 12, 2024, after a life-long struggle with depression.

Chuck (or Chucky to childhood friends) was born on October 14, 1954, to Jackson Guthrie and Mary Belle (Taulman) Silence in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The family began visiting the North Shore when Chuck was a teen and eventually bought a cabin on Two Island Lake. Chuck, his parents, and his two younger siblings lived in that small cabin until the family purchased a home closer to town. Chuck and his brother Brian enjoyed riding their dirt bikes on the backroads and once had a memorable encounter with a bear.

Chuck graduated from Cook County High School in 1974 and joined the U.S. Army. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and his first assignment was at Fort Lewis, Washington.

On June 18, 1975, he married Rhonda (Bockovich) Silence and they set off on the adventure of being a military family. After Fort Lewis, they were transferred to Mannheim, Germany. They enjoyed exploring the German countryside and checking out castles and wineries. Their first son, Benjamin, was born in the beautiful city of Heidelberg.

Chuck was proud of his time in Germany, where he served on the NATO team decommissioning the Pershing Missile. He enjoyed interacting with his Soviet counterparts during this important peacekeeping mission.

The family spent three years in Germany and were then posted to Fort Carson, Colorado, where their second son, Gideon, was born. They enjoyed the mountains of Colorado, especially camping at Molly Gulch and Lake San Antonio campgrounds with friends.

From Colorado, Chuck was deployed to Korea to the border between North and South Korea, the demilitarized zone (DMZ). That was a challenging, unaccompanied, year-long tour of duty but Chuck was honored to be part of the U.S./South Korean partnership.

The family was united when Chuck returned to the United States, to Fort Ord, California. The family enjoyed the moderate climate of Monterey where Chuck was able to ride his Honda Rebel motorcycle nearly every day of the year. Many days were spent at Fisherman’s Wharf or the beaches and tidal pools.

Another assignment to Germany followed, which was greatly enjoyed by the entire family. There were trips from our home near Stuttgart to London, Paris and Prague. There were some tense times too, as the military community faced the war against Iraq.

Chuck’s final military assignment was at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C. He was assigned to the Military District of Washington (MDW) which guards the White House and Capitol. Chuck took part in some very interesting emergency training exercises, but he refused to jump out of a perfectly good helicopter.

After 21 years, Chuck retired and the family moved to Grand Marais, which despite all the travels was always home. A bit young to be retired, Chuck worked a variety of jobs— at Hedstrom Lumber, as a driver for Como Oil & Propane, as a line locator for Northern Lights Locating, and as a delivery driver for Sawtooth Lumber.

He fully retired when his first grandbaby was born. He spent the next 20 years enjoying every minute of being a grandpa. He loved taking the grandkids fishing, on ATV rides, and attending their sporting events. He was always happy to see them and greeted them as “my munchkins,” although they eventually were taller than him.

Chuck was an avid hunter and fisherman. He and Rhonda loved camping in their toy hauler and riding the backroads and trails on their ATVs. Once in a while, Rhonda could get him to go kayaking. They had a memorable cruise around the Hawaiian Islands in April 2024 and Chuck got to cross an item off his bucket list—a submarine ride.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his dearly loved older brother Mike Silence of Indianapolis.

He is survived by his wifeof49years,Rhonda;his children Ben and Michele Silence and Gideon and Sara Silence; his grandchildren RaeAnne, Genevieve, Carter, AnnaBelle, and Eloise; his brother Brian Silence and his wife Nanette; his sisters Lois Sprinkle and Mary “Sissy” Silence; his father-inlaw Richard Bockovich; sister-in-law Rhodelle Allman and her husband J.R; brother-in-law Randy Bockovich and brotherin- law Ryan Bockovich and his wife, Jeni; special “adopted” kid Misty Carlson; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

The list of people who have helped our family is endless and we won’t try to list them because we do not want to leave anyone out. However, we want to say a special thanks to the emergency crew and nurses at North Shore Health. Your caring and kindness will never be forgotten.

Despite fighting depression, for the most part, Chuck lived a good life. In his memory, we ask that you please do the same.