1940 – 2026
Chuck wrote his own obituary. His family loved how it sounded just like his voice, so we are publishing it almost verbatim, per his wishes. Rebuttals and additions from family are in parentheses. (Like this.)
Chuck, son prénom préféré (he never spoke French) was born to Raymond and Irene Grapentine (née Schultz) on April 1, 1940, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As an April Fool, he always tried to be funny and witty, but sometimes his humor was misunderstood, and his wit could be biting, and people were turned off by it. He mellowed in his later years. (No notes.)
Chuck graduated from Washington High School (Jan ’58) and the University of Wisconsin with a BBA (Jan ’63). He worked six days a week full time reading electric meters while attending school full-time for two years. Upon graduation, being draft eligible, no jobs were available, and he continued as an electric meter reader until he joined the Army Reserve and served his active duty basic training in Ft Leonard Wood, MO, starting in September 1963, for six months.
His first date with his future wife, Joyce Hilden, a Yooper, was on April 24, 1963, and she wrote him a letter every day while he was gone. After he returned from his training duty they were married on September 5, 1964. They had three children, Lori, Mark, and Joy, and the girls retained the Grapentine name, which pleased him greatly. Each of their children had two children of their own, Nico and Noelle, Jordan (Elizabeth) and Lexey (Joey), and Grace and Elizabeth. (They also have fabulous spouses: John Benton, Wendy, and K.C. Haugh.)
Chuck worked for a short time at Square D after army service and then began working for the City of Milwaukee Civil Service Commission, where he was mentored by Robert Garnier and James Springer. While he worked there, he completed a Master of Science degree at UW-Milwaukee (Jan ’73). He subsequently became the first Personnel Director for the City of Green Bay, the head of the Wisconsin Civil Service System in Madison, and the Personnel Director and Labor Negotiator for the City of Kenosha, Wisconsin, during his 35-year personnel career. (A personnel peer once called him an “HR icon”, and that moniker graced his license plate thereafter.)
Chuck was active with professional personnel and labor relations organizations at the local, state, and national levels and served as a board member, treasurer, and president at each level. (He loved talking about his work and other people’s work.)
Chuck and Joyce enjoyed traveling, especially to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s Lake Superior shoreline and to France with Kenosha’s Sister City organization. Chuck bicycled thousands of miles each year, cross-country skied into his 80s, and played Sheepshead whenever he could (though efforts to teach his offspring proved fruitless). Chuck retired at age 60 and died on February 13th, 2026, at age 85. (He loved to learn and audited over 40 classes at UW, always making an effort to connect with his professors, but never taking any tests, which would create more work for them.)
It was a great 61-year marriage and a wonderful life with Joyce and their children, grandchildren, and friends. (His last words in his daily journal, on Day 9,165 of retirement, were “It was a great, great run!!”)
(Chuck is survived by his beloved wife Joyce and the aforementioned children and grandchildren. Memorial arrangements are pending.)
