Charles (Chuck) Huber died on March 22, 2021 at the age of 88, after suffering from heart failure. He spent the last two weeks of his life surrounded by his children playing cards, watching basketball, reminiscing and, in true Huber fashion, sharing more laughter than tears.
Chuck was born in La Crosse, Wisc., on May 11, 1932 to Harry and Mina (Nash) Huber. It was there that he met his future wife Eleanor (Ellie) Lehmann. Although they met in kindergarten, they did not start “going steady” until their sophomore year in high school and didn’t get married until 1954 after each had graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Chuck graduated with a BBA and accounting degree. After a brief service in the army, he returned to UW-Madison to attend law school. Chuck accepted a job as a tax attorney at McDermott, Will and Emery in Chicago. He and Ellie soon moved to Elmhurst to begin raising their family of four adored children.
Chuck had a zest for life matched by few others. He and Ellie began traveling with their not always well- behaved young children in a non-air-conditioned station wagon in the 1960’s with a mission to see every beautiful national park and tourist trap in the United States. Their travels continued far beyond after Chuck retired. For many years, they traveled the world learning of new places and cultures and taking in the sites. They were fortunate enough to take many of their retirement trips with friends they had made along the years, most of them from their connections they made at Immanuel Lutheran School and Church.
Chuck was blessed with great friendships throughout his years. He set out to travel the west coast the summer after senior year in high school with his four best buddies, referred to as the Jolly Morticians – “because they undertook anything.” He made life-long connections with college friends who became part of the family. After moving to Elmhurst, Chuck and Ellie very quickly met up with cherished friends they met through Immanuel. This is where true shenanigans began. Chuck and Ellie’s group of friends were quite the pranksters. Chuck may have been the biggest prankster of them all. Any flimsy excuse would suffice for their crazy group to throw a party.
Chuck’s life was enriched by his love of gardening, bridge, woodworking, writing and watching his beloved Badger football games. However, his biggest joy in life was his wife and his children. He and his loving wife Ellie showed his family what a successful marriage looks like and taught them the importance of family. Both are given equal credit as Chuck and Ellie were always a team. When Chuck and Ellie turned 40, they decided to take up skiing and they became ‘a family who skis’, taking annual trips that continued long after the first grandchild was born. These are some of the most cherished memories for the family. As Chuck and Ellie’s family grew in size, “Huberfest” was born-a summer gathering of the children and their spouses, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It continues to be a weekend filled with food, beverages, a cornhole tournament, four square, swimming, cards and an overabundance of laughter. Laughter seems to be what the Huber family does best. Chuck had a quick wit and a keen sense of humor – a gift to all who knew him. He will forever be missed by his family and friends.
Chuck is survived by his children-Kathy (Wayne) Kubick, Dave (Carol) Huber, Tina (John) Ughetta and Anne (Scott) Martenson, his six grandchildren-Colin and Erika Kubick, Connor and Andrew Ughetta and Rachel and Erik Martenson and his two great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Logan Kubick.
A private celebration of life will be held in his honor in late August at Huberfest, somewhere between the cornhole tournament and a feisty foursquare game. He and Ellie’s beautiful ‘handmade by Chuck’ cremation boxes will then be buried under the canopy of a beautiful tri color beech tree that he planted in Ellie’s honor when she passed away in 2016. Arrangements were provided by family.
