Charles L. "Chuck" Froelich, age 83, of Belleville, Michigan, passed away on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Chuck was born on August 31, 1942 to the late Donald and Mary Catherine (Limpach) Froelich. He spent his formative years with two brothers and three sisters at the family residence on Latty Street in Defiance, Ohio.

In his later high school years, his uncle Fr. James Froelich, CPPS, encouraged Chuck to think about going to college. As a result Chuck spent an extra year in high school, after graduating, to take some extra classes which would allow him to be more prepared for college.

In 1961 Chuck was names National Junior Technician for building and displaying a binary computer at the local science fair, and then at the Junior Engineering Technical Society Exposition in East Lansing, Michigan. As a result of a coordinated engineering program between two colleges, in 1967 Chuck graduated from the University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Degree and from St. Joseph College Rennselaer, Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics-Physics. He then graduated from the University of Detroit in 1971 with a Master of Engineering Degree.

Chuck married the love of his life, Sophia (Pietrykowski) Froelich on August 5, 1967 in Defiance, Ohio. During his first few years out of college, Chuck started working with computers, which were in their infancy at the time, and ended up with a career as a Computer Programmer/Analyst.

Chuck and Sophia spent a year helping to build their dream home on Belleville Lake near Belleville, Michigan, and moved in during the month of November 1977. Around 1980 Sophia talked Chuck into buying a metal detector and they both enjoyed the hobby from that time forward. They would even take the detectors on vacations down south in order to hunt for goodies on the saltwater beaches, especially Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sophia retired from Ford Motor Company in 1999 and Chuck retired from the government in 2003. They enjoyed many years of fishing, boat rides and just enjoying the lake until Sophia passed on January 19, 2015 from a malignant brain tumor.

Chuck was a long time member of St. Anthony Church in Belleville, Michigan, and also a member of the Michigan Treasure Hunters and the Silver Seekers Metal Detecting Clubs.

He is survived by his brothers, Roger Froelich of Defiance, his sister Karen (Christopher) Graham of Fayetteville, Georgia, and many nieces and nephew. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Sophia, and sisters Ruth Froelich and Mary Rose Dell and brother Raymond Froelich.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2026 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Schaffer Funeral Home in Defiance, with a Rosary Service at 4:00 pm. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, August 14th at the funeral home, with Fr. Kevin McGraw officiating. Chuck will be laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to The American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor's choice.

Online condolences can be given at www.Schafferfh.com.