Charles (Chuck) Stevenson Lane

The world and I lost a fine companion, story teller and gentleman this week with the passing of Charles (Chuck) Stevenson Lane. Born on March 18, 1942 (his mother claims she wanted to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day once more before he arrived so held on!) to Nancy [Stevenson] and James Sargent Lane II in Minnetonka, MN. Chuck was a fine athlete and played football and baseball for Blake Academy in Hopkins, MN. After graduation from Blake he went on to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. He quarterbacked the football team to an undefeated 1961 season where they received the Timmie Award for being the best small college football team in America and they were featured in Sports Illustrated (when it still meant something!) After graduation he returned to Minneapolis where a tryout with the Minnesota Twins showed him he may want to get a real job…His grandfather had a connection with Max Winter, the owner of the new team the Minnesota Vikings so he worked in the ticket office there, and as Winter also owned the Harlem Globetrotters he sent Chuck out on the road as the advance man for their exhibition games. So there he was, this handsome young man in his dream car Corvette racing through the cornfields of the upper midwest with Meadowlark Lemon or Connie Hawkins riding shotgun….That must have been quite a sight! And baseball great Satchel Paige was a passenger one season and Chuck liked to quote him and tell some tales about that experience….And still not a real job!

That Globetrotters job took him through Green Bay and timing was perfect when Coach Lombardi needed an advance man of his own to go on the road and promote and publicize the team in the dawning era of televised games. Jim Finks of the Vikings recommended Chuck to manager Tom Miller and Lombardi and there he was…a 23 year old sports and Packer fan landing a dream job.

He started his career there with the first Two Super Bowls before they were even called that and liked to quip that he was a PR genius to have the team do so well. However, when Coach Lombardi left soon after he discovered promoting the likes of lesser legends like Bengston-Devine-Starr was a bit more difficult. He was the face of the Packers for 14 years and was a popular figure in the area with his Chuck Lane Show on radio and TV broadcasts. Still not a real job! 

He was so approachable when out in public and understood he represented the whole organization and was always a class act and gentleman. He made favorable impressions wherever he went as he never turned away from a fan asking about the team. Indeed, after he was gone from the Packers hoopla he was approached at a store one day where the guy said, “Hey, didn’t you use to be Chuck Lane?” I used that line on him if he ever got a little full of himself!

The Packers gig ended in 1980 and he went on to work for #66 and the Ray Nitschke Packer Report, and was the Sports Information Director for the UWGB Phoenix when they went Division 1 in 1982. In 1983 Coach George Allen offered Chuck a job in Phoenix with the Arizona Wranglers of the fledgling USFL. He was there for a season and a championship and then Vince Lombardi Jr asked him to come to his team in the USFL, the Michigan Panthers. Unfortunately, then the whole League folded! And he still didn’t have a real job!

Chuck was hired by Ron Weyers and Wally Hilliard in 1985 to get name recognition for their company, Wisconsin Employers Insurance. He planned community charitable events and employee recognition programs and continued on through about five name changes until it became Humana. The job evolved into Incentive Sales Meeting Planning and he entertained 200 plus folks in various venues throughout the world as a bonus for their sales efforts. He liked to joke he traveled the world on someone else’s dime (and he still didn’t have a real job!) He was well loved and respected for having the best trips in the industry. Many friends were made with other meeting planners and hoteliers that are still on the radar today.

After the organized sports in college were done, he took up the sport of Rugby with some old friends in Minneapolis. That led to him participating when a new club was started in Green Bay in the 70’s, the Celtics. One outstanding memory was 1987 when he went on a traveling amateur team to Australia and New Zealand and played there. So many good memories and friends from rugby he enjoyed to this day, and many came to pay their respects and toast him with one final cold one.

Chuck was a founder and Board Member Emeritus of the Packer Hall of Fame, and was also on the Board of the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. He was involved with Ducks Unlimited over the years also and animals and wildlife were a passion of his throughout his life. He wrangled raising baby racoons for the Sanctuary for many years as a rehabber. Many felines graced his life and lap over the years and they will be glad to be reunited with him once again. Indeed, friends would say that when they died they wanted to come back as one of Chucks cats!

Chuck is survived by his fiancée and long time companion Nancy Miller, her brothers Mike (Yadira) Miller and Pat (Leah) Miller, his brother James Sargent Lane III of Minneapolis, and four nieces and their children: Anne [Larry] Martinez, Dr. Joan Lane, Lee [Guido] Rahr, Linda [Jared] Soper. He is also survived by many dear friends and acquaintances from a life well spent and long lived. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister in law Joni Lane, and his best friend Gail Allen. 

Many thanks to his neighbors, caregiver Taryn Allen and the good people at Home Instead and Unity Hospice, Mary-LuWaine-Ashley-Amy…..and all. Thank you for your kindness and care of my beloved Chuck.

Visitation at Malcore Funeral Home, 1530 W. Mason St. Saturday January 25, from 11 AM until 2 PM. 

“Old friends, they are the best friends…they know where you are and they know where you’ve been”……Harry Chapin. RIP Old Friend. 

In lieu of flowers please direct any expressions of sympathy to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Chuck's name.