CHARLES K. DAHL

      Charles ‘Charlie’ Kevin Dahl, Rochester, died Feb. 19, 2016, at Memorial Hospital of Burlington after a courageous, four-year battle with cancer.

He was born on Nov. 20, 1961, in Iron Mountain, Mich., to David and Elrene Dahl, but the family soon moved to Minnesota where Charlie spent his formative years. He attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., and pursued a career in banking and mortgage lending, which brought him to the Milwaukee area in the 1990s. Later, he began working at Heritage Mortgage in Brookfield, where he took a position as a senior loan officer and met his wife, Karen Calmes Dahl. They were married April 10, 1999.

Charlie was a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend, and is remembered by all who knew him for his warmth, kindness, gentleness and sly sense of humor. He was an avid and skilled outdoorsman who loved hunting and always knew where the fish were biting. He loved and embraced life itself. When asked, “How are you?” his familiar refrain for years was “Super great, never had a bad day.” This did not change even when he was engaged in a battle for his life and endured the unendurable –innumerable chemotherapy and other treatments and procedures – to win more time to be with those he loved, and to welcome new grandchildren into the world.

Though his doctors had warned upon initial diagnosis that he would not survive the month, Charlie’s courage, resolve, and love for life resulted in more than four more good and productive years. In this age of social media, many people were witness to and inspired by Charlie’s unrelenting determination and upbeat demeanor in his final four years. He showed us all how to embrace the life given us and to face its inevitable end with courage and with hope.

Survivors include his wife; mother, Elrene Dahl Rutherford; two sons from a prior marriage (to Kristina Kuhn-Marquette), Joshua (Becky) Dahl, Mukwonago, and Grant (Shannon) Dahl, Blaine, Minn.; grandchildren, Bailie, Reese, Ryan, and Jack; brothers, Matthew (Jane), Cannon Falls, Minn., Eric (Carla), Edina, Minn., Kristopher (Mindi), Chanhassen, Minn.; sister, Kiersten (Stanley) Dahl-Shetka, New Prague, Minn., and all of their children.

He was preceded in death by his father.

A memorial for Charlie will be held at Rivermoor Golf Club, 30802 Waterford Drive, Waterford, on Saturday, Feb. 27. Family and friends may visit with the family from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., with a memorial service starting promptly at 1 p.m., followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers memorials to the family are appreciated. Integrity Funeral Services, Waterford, is serving the family.

Well-wishers can visit www.integrityfunerals.net.