Chal Fowler

 

Mart Chal Fowler

West Lafayette, Indiana - Mart Chal Fowler, 87, of West Lafayette, Indiana, passed away on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at home. His caregiver and loving wife of 57 years, Nancy, was at his side singing sweet songs at the time of his death. He was preceded in death by his sister, Marilyn Orth, and his parents.

Chal was born on December 10, 1933 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Mart Irving and Martha Vogt Fowler. He moved with his family to West Lafayette, Indiana in 1947 when his father joined the economics faculty at Purdue University.

His love of aviation led him to earn his private pilot license at the age of 16 under the training of Lawrence "Cap" Aretz.

Chal graduated from West Lafayette High School in 1952 and from Purdue University in 1956. Following Purdue he served two years in the military in Germany. During his service he spent time at a forward observation post on the border of then Czechoslovakia after the Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite.

Upon returning from Germany Chal worked for Allison Engine Company in Indianapolis. He then worked for Purdue Airlines.

Chal and his family moved to Danville, Illinois in 1965 when he accepted a position as a Quality Control Engineer with Central Foundry Division of General Motors. He retired from Central Foundry in 1988.

After retiring from Central Foundry, Chal drove a school bus for the Rossville-Alvin School District.

Chal always loved to tell a good story, especially of the many people he had met in his lifetime. One of his favorite stories was meeting a young Chuck Yeager when he flew into Purdue to speak to one of his father's classes. He also enjoyed telling the story during his time at Purdue when during a charter flight he befriended a young rookie baseball player named Pete Rose.

Chal is survived by his wife, Nancy, and three sons. Dave and wife Julie live in North Carolina and have three grown children (Mara, Mart, and Emma). Gregg lives in Texas and has two grown children (Madison and Sydney). Jon and wife Cherry live in Thailand and have one grown child (Ploy). His nephew, James Orth, and wife Jeanne live in Florida.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Chapel Gallery, Delphi, Indiana in Chal's name.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date when it's safe to host large groups.

The family would like to thank ViaQuest Hospice for their care and support. Family and friends may leave condolences online at www.neptunesociety.com.