Charles Glen Pavlish, Jr.

Charles Glen Pavlish, Jr. passed away on March 6, 2026, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, at the age of 78, surrounded by his family. Chuck lived a life deeply rooted in family, education, and a profound connection to the natural world. His legacy is one of quiet stewardship, a love of learning, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.

For thirty-four years, Chuck taught British Literature and College Writing at Shakopee High School. His students remember his rigorous standards and the papers returned covered in thoughtful red ink, the result of many Saturday mornings spent carefully reviewing their work. That attention signaled his belief in their potential, and many rose to meet it. He shared his passion for language, theater, and Shakespeare with them, regularly taking busloads of students to the Guthrie and Chanhassen Dinner Theaters. On the athletic fields, where he coached football and basketball, his players could be heard quoting lines from Macbeth from the stands.

Chuck found great joy in the outdoors. He and his wife, Carol, built a cabin by hand on Greenwood Lake, where the family spent summers surrounded by bears and moose. He cherished the long-running pursuit of Stanley, the elusive fish, and loved hiking in the redwoods and running along the ocean. For three summers he worked as a park ranger at Katmai National Park in Alaska, photographing the bears that became cherished portraits on the walls of his home. An ardent environmentalist, he built nesting boxes for wood ducks and platforms for geese at the family home on Pike Lake, patiently waiting for turtles to finish laying eggs along the driveway before driving on it. He and Carol later worked with the Trust for Public Land to protect those woods and shoreline from development, and he continued making small, meaningful choices to care for the planet throughout his life.

Above all, Chuck was devoted to his family. He shared his love of travel and exploration with his children, Timothy and Ellisa, on trips across the country, to Alaska, and through Europe, and later passed that same spirit on to his granddaughter, Payton, who affectionately called him Empy. He is survived by his wife of fifty-two years, Carol (Pillsbury) Pavlish; his children, Timothy Charles Pavlish (Elizabeth Andre) and Ellisa (Jeff) Beamish; his granddaughter, Payton Beamish; his sister, Betty Lou Walker; his brother, Bill (Vicki) Pavlish; and many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Glen Pavlish, Sr. and Dorothy (Pearson) Pavlish.