Charles Virant Obituary

Charles Virant
Charles Albert Virant (known as Chuck), born April 16, 1952, passed away on July 14, 2024, after a short battle with colon cancer. He was born to the late Charles and Clara (Jarmusevich) Virant in Detroit, Michigan. He is preceded in death by his parents, beloved daughter, Jennifer Virant, sister Cynthia Drozdzewski, and brother Christopher Virant.
Chuck is survived by the love of his life, devoted wife of nearly 52 years, Marilyn (Hilton), and his cherished daughters: Dawn (Doron) Eisenscher, Kimberly (Darrell) Howery, and Deborah (Jerry) Young. He also leaves behind his only living sibling, Claudia (John) Walker. Chuck leaves behind a loving legacy in his grandchildren: Asha (Chris) Riley, A.J. (Kayla) McKinney, Isabel and Ami Eisenscher, and Charlie and Ellie Young, as well as his first great-grandchild, Monsa' McKinney.
Chuck spent 36 years working for the military and Department of Defense, where he proudly served his country in both the Navy and the Army. He made the brave decision to join the Navy at 17 years old and was stationed in California. While in the Navy, during Vietnam, he traveled to nearly 40 countries around the world and spoke about his favorite places: Greece and Hong Kong.
During a leave home in Detroit in February 1971, Chuck met Marilyn at a party, and within a couple of days, Chuck realized that Marilyn was "the one". Over the next 10 months, Chuck and Marilyn communicated through hundreds of long-distance letters. Chuck proposed to Marilyn in December 1971. Marilyn worked hard to plan the wedding while Chuck was deployed, but the wedding was delayed as Chuck's aircraft carrier (the U.S.S Kittyhawk) was at sea. Marilyn's mother, Bernice, contacted her congresswoman, Martha Griffiths, and with her help, Chuck was airlifted by helicopter and then flown across the world to get to their wedding on November 10, 1972.
Once they were married, Chuck and Marilyn traveled across the country to where Chuck was stationed, in the Oakland Bay Area of California. They endured a blizzard on their travels, which was the first of many adventures they would experience together. After a year, they were relocated to Whidbey Island, Washington, where they had their first child, a beautiful daughter, Jennifer.
After completing his Navy service, Chuck and Marilyn returned to Michigan. They bought a home in Garden City, had three more beautiful daughters and raised their family for the next three decades. During this time Chuck was in the Army Reserve and worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense.
Chuck was a devoted Catholic, and his faith was a cornerstone of his life, dedication to his family, and love for his wife. He was also known for his incredible trivia knowledge and often impressed everyone with his success at playing Jeopardy at home. Chuck loved sports and knew everything about the game, the players and their stats. He was a lifelong Michigan Wolverine fan, down to his mancave which was decorated floor to ceiling in the Maize and Blue. He was thrilled to get to see his beloved Detroit Lions have a fantastic season last year. Since retiring to Ubly, MI, he became a diehard fan of the Ubly High School Bearcats football team and got to see them win the High School Football state championship back in November. He enjoyed spending hours on the phone, texting, and, most recently, doing podcasts with his best friend Dennis Merlo.
Chuck loved playing golf in his league in Ubly and traveling to different courses to meet his friends for some competitive play. Also, in retirement, Chuck and Marilyn enjoyed their time in Winter Haven, FL, where he was able to enjoy the game year-round being away from the snowy and cold Michigan winters. Last but certainly not least, Chuck had an amazing sense of humor. He laughed every day of his life, enjoyed making others laugh, and especially enjoyed a good trick on April Fool's Day.
Chuck dedicated his life to his family and his country, upholding values of dedication, determination, loyalty, and love in everything he did and taught his daughters and grandchildren. He will be deeply missed, but his legacy of love, service, commitment, and passion will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.