Just over a year after the passing of late Chardon Township Trustee Chuck Strazinsky, trustees gathered at Chardon Township Park to dedicate a pavilion in his honor July 26.
Just over a year after the passing of late Chardon Township Trustee Chuck Strazinsky, trustees gathered at Chardon Township Park to dedicate a pavilion in his honor July 26.
Chuck, 55, passed away May 20, 2024, following a battle with cancer, having served almost 17 years as a trustee.
Fellow Trustee Mike Brown previously said the park’s creation was one of Chuck’s proudest accomplishments in office.
The dedication was part of an inaugural township picnic, which drew a crowd of about 50 people, many of whom knew Chuck.
While no representatives from Ohio Congressman Dave Joyce’s office were in attendance, he sent a proclamation about the dedication, which Trustee Jacob Cimperman read aloud.
“It’s a certificate of congressional recognition and achievement presented to Chardon Township in recognition of the Chardon Township Park Pavillion Dedication Ceremony in honor of Trustee Chuck Strazinsky and his unwavering commitment to the community,” Cimperman read.
Brown, a close friend of Chuck, described his time serving alongside him as an honor.
“He was the kind of guy that you want serving your local government. Honest to a fault, integrity, just loves his family so much. I can’t tell you how many times after a meeting, we would sit in the parking lot for an hour, hour and a half and talk, and he was talking about you guys,” Brown said, directing his comment to Chuck’s family, who were in attendance.
Chuck often said the township purchasing the park property and designing it was one of the funnest things he did as trustee, Brown said.
“The work paid off, the park is very well used, everybody seems to enjoy it here and when it came time to doing some of the things that weren’t necessarily in the plan, Chuck was the first one to volunteer,” Brown said.
Chuck, a carpenter by trade, had demolished the house that previously occupied the lot and volunteered his and his construction company’s time to build the pavilion, he added.
Brown read an official proclamation from the trustees recognizing Chuck’s life and legacy.
Chuck selflessly dedicated his time, talents and commitment to the betterment of the township through years of public service and was a staunch advocate for the creation of the park, donating his own time and resources in its creation, Brown read.
His contributions left a lasting impact on the hearts of residents and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come, he said, adding the township wants to recognize those who have made significant and lasting contributions to the shared quality of life.
Trustees proclaimed the park pavilion the Chuck Strazinsky Memorial Pavilion and unveiled a plaque placed there in his honor.
Chuck’s younger brother, Jonathan Strazinsky, thanked the crowd for coming out.
“It’s hard to contemplate that it’s coming up on 14 years since we built this pavilion. It didn’t really seem long ago,” Jonathan said. “I worked with Chuck for 20 years and in that time, he taught me so much. He taught me how to plan jobs, how to talk to customers, how to force people to be your friend.”
Chuck had a big personality and there wasn’t a room big enough to contain his laugh or smile, Jonathan said.
“I remember this job. It was the muddiest jobsite ever, it was ridiculous. Setting these trusses was a blast,” he recalled. “As you all well know, (Chuck) loved Chardon, he loved the township and he really wanted to make this place happen. I remember sitting in the passenger seat on the way to work getting daily updates.”
Chuck loved everything about being a trustee, Jonathan said.
“I asked him once why he wanted to be a trustee and he said, ‘I live here, why wouldn’t I want a say in where and what my money is going towards?’” he said. “Pretty simple answer really, it made perfect sense.”
Chuck loved to help people, his brother said, noting they had been raised with the value that if you have the ability to help someone, you should.
“Chuck was not just a good human, he was exceptional. I believe he surpassed what our parents hoped we could ever be,” he said. “Chuck would say his best accomplishment was his kids. My only hope is his kids have learned by example, the way Chuck, Bryan and I learned by example from our parents.”
When it came to his kids, Chuck only had one goal — making good humans, Jonathan said.
Without a doubt, his nieces and nephew are exceptional humans, he added.
“I know for a fact your father is very proud of you,” he told them.
Jonathan encouraged those in attendance to talk about Chuck and to laugh a lot, something he said his brother would love.
“Right now, he is up there rolling his eyes, shaking his head and thinking, ‘Seriously guys? Dedicating this to me, really? Don’t you have better things to do?’” Jonathan quipped.
Trustees plan to make the township picnic an annual event and said they welcome feedback for next year.
Geauga County Commissioners also recently approved a grant for a walking trail to be added to the park.
