Longtime area restaurateur Charles Eugene Egeler, known as "Chef Charles" and owner of the pizza place of the same name in Elk Rapids, has passed away at the age of 69.

According to an obituary posted by Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service/Covell-Elk Rapids Chapel, Egeler died Sunday in his home in Kewadin. A cause of death was not listed. After graduating from Dexter High School in 1970, Egeler worked as a sous-chef while taking classes from the Culinary Institute of Arts in Connecticut. "His talent and love for foods of the world earned him the title of executive chef at restaurants such as The Briarwood Hilton Ann Arbor, JD Hatchery in Atlanta, Georgia, Top of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado, The Rhinoceros in Detroit, and the Reflections Restaurant at Traverse City’s Waterfront Inn," according to the obituary.

Egeler and his brother David created the Chef Charles Pizzeria in Elk Rapids in 1993. "Charles loved to travel the world, touring Europe and South America," according to the obituary. Egeler made his second home in Managua, Nicaragua, where his partner Oscar Reyes-Chavarria - whom Egeler married in 2019 - was from. "He will forever be remembered for his contagious laugh, generous heart, and his incredibly delicious pizza," according to the obituary. "Charles was loved by many and he will be greatly missed."

A celebration of life will be held for Egeler in the spring.