Charles William Claassen Jr., known as Chuck, died at age 52 in a paddleboarding accident on the Skagit River in northern Washington state on July 27, 2023. He was the son of Chuck and Terry Claassen, formerly of Unionville, MO, now residing in Ashland, MO. Chuck was a graduate of the Putnam County High School class of 1989. He attended Truman State University and eventually became a chef. Chuck was an outdoorsman and athlete as well as a poet, musician, and life-long learner. He fished, hiked, and climbed mountains in many states. He completed an iron man triathlon and ran the Boston Marathon in 2013, the year of the bombing. Chuck and his wife, Christina, raised two daughters in Indianapolis and Washington state. Chuck worked at the North Cascades Institute (NCI) in Rockport, WA for several years as head chef and food manager. He was instrumental in the opening of its Environmental Learning Center where he focused on using local and organic food. He was known for his creativity and adventurous spirit. Later he opened his own café above a bookstore in Bellingham, WA. Chuck had returned to NCI in the last year, enjoying the mountains and rivers of North Cascades National Park. The family is heartbroken at this tragedy. He is survived by ex-wife, Christina Claassen (nee Rego); his daughters, Frankie Claassen and Olivia Guseva; his parents, Chuck and Terry Claassen of Ashland, MO; his sister, Traci Schultz of Olympia, WA; his sister, Jennie Belzer of Columbia, MO; his sister, Amy MacConnell of Mount Juliet, TN; and his brother, Mark Claassen of Nashville, TN; as well as many nieces and nephews.
