He was born in 1923 in Bradford, Penn., where he graduated from high school in 1942. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served in Europe during World War II as an airplane mechanic. He came to Alaska in 1947 and settled in Anchorage, where he built a log cabin and worked as an airplane mechanic as well as a fisherman. A skiing enthusiast, he helped build the Arctic Valley ski resort.
He married Edith Cass in 1951. They homesteaded in Anchor Point and established a setnet site on Kalgin Island, where they spent many happy seasons with their three young children. The family moved to Homer in 1969, where Chuck fished for shrimp in Kachemak Bay. He was divorced in 1972 and married Tirzah Coast Parrett in 1973. In 1976 he built a 74-foot stern-ramp trawler and fished it until the mid-1980s. When he retired from fishing he turned the boat over to his son Charlie to fish and became the official “port engineer.”
Above all, Chuck was a lover of the outdoors. During the last few years of his life he spent vast amounts of time skiing, rafting and hiking in the river bottom and glacier of the Woznesenski on Kachemak Bay. He was a knowledgeable fiberglass man and laid up numerous skiffs in the early years. Lately his knowledge of fiberglass was put to use making sleds for his Labrador dogs Bunky and Wally to pull camping equipment up to the glacier with him in the winter and carts for them to pull in the summer. The family is certain that at least one of the trio had a really good time.
Chuck was a fabulous story-teller who regaled his adventures to family and friends. He was well read, especially tales of exploration and adventure. He appreciated that he was born at “just the right time,” that he and his siblings were free to roam around their town and strangers were not to be feared. In the last few years he grew increasingly concerned for the welfare of his grandchildren and future generations. As a man used to solving problems, he was frustrated that he couldn’t imagine happy endings for the problems that beset our nation and planet.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Tirzah Parsons; daughter, Cass Crandall; sons Lance and Charlie Parsons; step-son Randy Parrett; son-in-law John Crandall; daughter-in-law Marilyn Parrett; sisters Mrs. Patricia Romans and Mrs. Nancy Smith; and grandchildren Tom Crandall, Caitlin Crandall, Amanda Parrett and Casey Parrett.
We encourage you to add your comments. To prevent spam, comments with links are manually approved during the normal business day. Please be respectful of others with your comments, bear in mind anyone in the community may be reading your comments.
