Charles "Chuck" Norvaisas

Charles (Kaziemieras) Žibuntas Aloyisious Norvaisas, age 82, died gently at his home in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin on the morning of April 23, 2023. He was surrounded by his loved ones and at peace. He was born on July 31, 1940 in the town of Birzai, Lithuania, the son of Maria (neé Adomkavicius) and Apolinaras Jonas Norvaisas. The family fled their home during the violence of WWII; Charles spent the early years of his childhood in a displaced persons camp in Germany. In 1950 the family immigrated to Chicago, Illinois, where, at the age of 10 he met the sweet girl who would eventually become his wife and life-long love, Mary (Nijole) Krivickas, when their families moved into the same apartment building. Charles attended Loyola College in Chicago earning an Associate degree in Business–and playing on the basketball team where he was known as “Mr. Hips” for his rebounding skills. He enlisted into the Army, serving as a Private First Class in the Infantry at Fort Ord in Monterey California. In the early 1960s he started a job in the mail room of Sears Roebuck & Co.

Charles and Mary were married in 1964 at St. Joseph’s Church in Porterfield, Wisconsin, settling in Cicero, Illinois and welcoming their first daughter, Julie Marie, in 1967. They moved to the suburb of Lombard, Illinois shortly after Julie’s birth, and rejoiced in the birth of their second daughter, Stefanie Ann, in 1969. The family embarked on decades of adventures and shenanigans, and Chuck was the main instigator of all of it. In his more than 30 years at Sears, he worked his way up, eventually becoming a Senior Buyer for boy’s clothing. At one point he was the largest buyer of Levi Strauss denim in the country. His job afforded him opportunities to travel far and wide - from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Malaysia to New York, Mississippi and California. He relished these trips fully, always returning home with treasures and tales. Charles instilled his love of travel and food, and his wonder at the world, in his family. He was as much at home in a dive bar as he was in a 5-star restaurant, and made sure his family was too. In retirement, Charles and Mary built their dream home on the river in Marinette, Wisconsin, enjoying a decade of warm holiday gatherings, outrageous parties, snowmobile trips, golf outings, and pontoon boat rides. As they grew older, they moved to Sun Prairie to be closer to their grandchildren. 

Charles was a man of great integrity and principle, and was also the life of every gathering and party. He was witty, intelligent, gracious, humble, generous, adventurous, and always led with a deep and genuine curiosity about other people. He was a wonderful father and grandfather to his daughters and granddaughters, Nijole (Jolie) Norvaisas Foos and Emilija Zibute (Zibby) Foos – he made sure we always knew we were unconditionally loved just as we are, capable of great things, and that he was proud of us. His love for his wife and for all his girls was bottomless.

Charles is preceded in death by his wife Mary, a brother Algus, and his parents Apolinaras and Maria. He is survived by a brother, Ray Norvaisas, his daughters, Julie and Stefanie, and his granddaughters, Jolie and Zibby. Though we are sustained by the many warm memories and colorful stories of his life, his presence and spirit are terribly missed. To keep his spirit alive, let’s cultivate curiosity, gratitude, and wonder within ourselves.

The family thanks Agrace Hospice care and Dr. Laura Kuhn for their compassion and care during his final days. 

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Gary Sinese Foundation, a charity for veterans that Charles supported enthusiastically. 

Visitation will be from 11-1:00 PM on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at Cress Funeral Service SUN PRAIRIE.

Cress Funeral Service Sun Prairie

608-837-9054