Charles “Chuck” Froman, 96, formerly of Ogden Dunes, IN, passed away on August 21, 2025. Chuck grew up in Cadillac, Michigan with his parents, Charles and Anna, and his older sister, Marie. He was a fierce lover of the outdoors and spent his childhood hunting, fishing, swimming, skiing and canoeing.
In his adulthood, he would share many stories of his childhood adventures. He kept in touch with his boyhood friends and skied, canoed and biked with some of them into their 80's.
Chuck graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in Civil Engineering and became a lifelong Michigan football fan. After college, Chuck worked for the U.S. Public Health Service and Army Corps of Engineers, which took him to Morocco, Boston, Maine and Alaska.
It was in Alaska, at a Juneau office building Christmas party, that Chuck met the love of his life, Joan. Within weeks he proposed to her and were married a few months later in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Chuck was fortunate to find a woman who was raised in the Western Forests and was game for a honeymoon camping and canoeing in Michigan’s North Boundary Waters. They shared 69 years of married life together.
During Chuck and Joan's first year of married life, they moved to Midland, Michigan, where they lived for 14 years as Chuck worked in several civil engineering positions for Dow Chemical company and Midland’s regional water company. The couple became active in the Presbyterian Church and Civic organizations and made a number of lifelong friends.
There, Chuck and Joan’s five children were born in rapid succession, and they were introduced to all the things their parents loved - swimming, skiing, fishing, and camping.
In 1970, Chuck took on new responsibilities in water management and was hired to be the Vice President of Gary-Hobart Water company in NW Indiana. The family moved to Ogden Dunes where Chuck and Joan became very involved in their new beach community. Chuck continued to make yearly hunting and fishing trips in Michigan with his old friends from Midland.
After settling in Indiana, Chuck and Joan bought a little cottage in Hoxeyville, Michigan, near Cadillac, so the family could continue enjoying the Michigan woods and skiing at Caberfae. Many memorable stories were born from the ski trips to Michigan and the summer days at the little cabin in the woods along the Pine River. Many of Chuck’s boyhood friends also had cabins near Cadillac and the families grew up skiing together at Caberfae.
Chuck later became the President of Gary-Hobart Water Supply and oversaw the water utility management for a large portion of NW Indiana. During that time, he also managed to attend most of his children’s sporting events and made sure the family continued to make it to Michigan to ski on winter weekends. Chuck and Joan golfed and took up bird watching and eventually had children at numerous Big Ten universities to visit.
The family resided in Ogden Dunes for 27 years enjoying the nature and beauty of the Lake Michigan Shoreline. When it was time to retire, Chuck and Joan split their years between a condo in El Jobean, Florida on Charlotte Harbor, and the Michigan cottage.
Chuck kept a fishing boat at their winter home in Harbour Village and soon knew all the best fishing spots and local fishermen. He and Joan became active in their local Audubon group and Chuck became engrossed in bird photography. He always had some pictures entered in the local Audubon bird photo contests. At Harbour Village, Chuck was known for being the one swimming laps in the pool every day throughout his 80’s and into his 90’s.
His children and grandchildren looked forward to visits to Florida and Michigan where Chuck was happy to lead boat or fishing expeditions or get everyone out in the woods to look for mushrooms or birds.
He is survived by his loving wife, Joan; children: Chuck (Jo Ann) Froman, Gayle (David) Froman, Elise (Thom) Skora, Aleta (John) Froman-Goodrich, and Tom (Jeni) Froman; grandchildren: Anna (Janelle) Littlehale, Hilary (Nick) Froman, Hallah Skora, Sam Littlehale, Elias Skora, Olivia (Dave) Pusinski, and Hannah (Liz) Froman; 5 great-grandchildren; and numerous extended family and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Anna and Charles; sister, Marie; and grandson Zachary.
A celebration of Chuck’s life will be held privately by family. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the National Audubon Society.
