Charles Francis Gant, 83, Huntington, Massachusetts, passed away Sunday October 16, 2022 after a brief illness surrounded by family.

A Graveside Service will be at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday June 10, 2023 at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery in Akron, Iowa. Family and friends are invited to The Old Lumber Yard, 15 Court Street Vermillion South Dakota at 7 P.M. on June 10 for Music and Memories.

A Mass of Christian burial was held on Saturday October 22 at 1 pm at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Hadley, MA.

His three daughters request that memorial donations be made to The National Music Museum at USD, (NMMUSD.org with comment "Chuck Gant Memorial") or the Public Radio Broadcasting Station of your choice.

Charles (Chuck) was born on August 11, 1939 in Akron Iowa, the son of Stephen and Ella (Lamoureux) Gant. He graduated from Akron High school, class of 1957 and from the University of South Dakota (USD) with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts in Music Education, and a Master's Degree in Education Administration. He was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at USD, ROTC, he sang with the USD Strollers music ensemble and was in the Lions Club.

He and his brothers owned Billy Boy Fishing Lodge where he hosted adventures that resulted in many fishing stories and great memories on Kakinagimak Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. He worked as an investment advisor at IDS Canada in Manitoba and also IDS in Emmetsburg, Iowa. His career as an educator spanned over 40 years. His first teaching position was as the middle school band teacher in Vermillion, SD. He served as a school principal in Garden City, Kansas, Topeka, Kansas and retired from his education career at Southampton Road Elementary School in Westfield, Massachusetts. He retired to a lake cabin where he enjoyed hosting family and friends.

Mr. Gant enjoyed music from several genres including Big Band era jazz, Irish music and he sang and played trumpet in a regional dance band in high school and college. He sang and played trumpet in several community bands, church choirs and he sang with the community group Schola Nova in Carnegie Hall in 2001. Mr. Gant was a member of the Catholic Church. He enjoyed cooking, carpentry, fishing, gardening, camping, playing cribbage and most of all spending time with his 3 daughters, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He enjoyed retirement travel to Ireland, Canada and the Caribbean.

He was preceded in death by his sister Mary Ellen, one infant son Francis, his parents, and a brother Donald Gant. He is survived by his former wife Margaret, their 3 daughters Dr. Elizabeth Fraser, Stephanie (Jeff), Hilary Aubey (Jim) and grandchildren, Clayton, Charles, Grace Ellen, Samuel and great grandchildren Sophia, Corbyn and Charlotte as well as his brother Gerald, his sister Carol Baldes (Allan) and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Gant leaves behind many classmates, students, friends and former colleagues in Akron IA, Vermillion, South Dakota, Garden City, KS Topeka, KS and Westfield, MA.