Professor Emeritus of Dentistry Charles Joseph Kowalski, son of Charles and Catherine (Radis) Kowalski, husband of Rosemary (Ribich) Kowalski, father of Robert (Bobbie Jean), Michael (Amy), Steven (Melissa) Kowalski, grandfather of Dawson, Drew and Payton Horning, Nicole and Aaron Petric, Valerie, Sydney, Madelyn, Claire, Kendyl and Harper Kowalski, died just days shy of his 87th birthday.

Born in Chicago in 1938, Chuck retired from U-M in 2009. He received his bachelor of science (mathematics) from Roosevelt University, master of science (statistics) from Michigan State University, and his Ph.D. (biostatistics) from U-M.

He held many positions during his long and distinguished career, including teaching assistant at MSU and U-M, consultant and assistant director of the Statistical Research Laboratory at U-M and Statistician at the Center for Statistical Consultation and Research in the Office of the Vice President for Research at U-M. He was a member, chair, co-chair and expediting reviewer of the U-M Institutional Review Board for Health and Behavioral Sciences, during which he reviewed almost 5,000 research studies. He continued to work closely with the review board office on an almost daily basis after his retirement until 2020.

Chuck was a member of the American Statistical Association, the Biometrics Society, the International Association for Dental Research, and the American Association of Physical Anthropology. He consulted for the National Football League, Parke-Davis and Co., Radboud University Nijmegen ( Netherlands), Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic, Department of Antiquities at the University of Alexandria (Cairo) and U-M, the Veterans Administration Hospital (Ann Arbor), Eastman Dental Center, Academisch Centrum Tandheelkunde Amsterdam.

He also worked on numerous committees and service activities, and presented workshops for the Center for Statistical Consultation and Research both individually and with others. He collaborated on a number of abstracts. His publications number over 200. Two days before his death, he and his co-authors submitted their last paper. His range of interests changed over the years, moving from math and statistics to research ethics, philosophy of science, clinical research design and health care quality and outcomes.

Up until a few years ago, Chuck was an avid, if undistinguished, golfer. But his real talent, once, in sports was baseball. As a kid, he participated in Chicago’s Park District Programs, and was an outstanding left-handed pitcher at Harrison Technical High School. One of his proudest moments occurred when he was a member of the 1955 Chicago All-Star High School team which played a game against the professional Chicago White Sox. He pitched three flawless innings. After high school, during baseball seasons, he played for various teams in the then Kansas City Athletics Organization (now the Oakland Athletics).

Chuck loved sports of all kinds. He was an enthusiastic fan of baseball, football, basketball and hockey and was eventually able to convert from being a Chicago Bears, Sox, Cubs, Bulls, Blackhawks and Spartan fan to a Detroit Lions, Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings fan, and, of course, the Wolverines. Up into his 70s he was a zealous squash player. He loved films of all types (but especially musicals); music of all kinds (he was still working on perfecting his playlist on Alexa at the time of his death). He loved the 20 years he and the family spent at their cottage “Up North” on Lake Michigan; and he loved his family.

He was predeceased by his parents, by his brother, Bob, and his brothers-in-law, Ned Early, Frank Merrill, Ferd Rebechini. In addition to his wife, his three sons, their wives and his 11 grandchildren, he is survived by his sisters, Carol Kowalski and Marilyn Early; sisters-in-law, Anna Kowalski and Sandi Rebechini; Al Wilhelm (Gail), and Steve (Jackie) Ribich and a number of nieces and nephews.

Cremation has taken place. There will be a celebration of his life from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 23 at Polo Fields Golf and Country Club, 5200 Polo Fields Drive. Donations in his honor may be made to the Kellogg Eye Center at U-M.

— Submitted by the Kowalski family