Charles Edward McDonald
Born November 19, 1947, in Traverse City, Michigan to Georgetta & Carl McDonald. Charlie graduated from Traverse City Central in 1966 and later from the Culinary Institute of America. In 1981 Charlie married his beloved wife Theresa Sophiea and together they had Megan (Richard) Doher, Charles (Troy) McDonald-Kane, Michael (Christina) McDonald, and Quinn McDonald. Charlie is survived by his siblings Bill McDonald and Barb Anderson and six grandchildren, Aiden, August, Abbott, Greyson, Miley, & Nathan.
Starting from a very young age Charlie's unparalleled work ethic shined through joining the Boy Scouts of America and working to become an Eagle Scout. As a young boy Charlie delivered papers and later worked for Bensley's drycleaners. Charlie served in the Army Reserves where he got his desire for cooking. Most people remember Charlie in his many years at the famous Sugar Loaf resort as their Executive Chef. For anyone that knew Charlie in the Sugar Loaf days he ran a very tight ship in his kitchen, serving a full dining room every day, and capturing the hearts of everyone who worked and played there. Sugar Loaf was where he fell in love with his wife of 41 years, Theresa, who worked in the dining room there. From sunup to sundown Charlie balanced work and play during these years. You could see him waterskiing in the morning with his buddies on Lake Leelanau to feeding hundreds of people who walked into his Sugar Loaf dining room.
With their one-year-old daughter, a U-Haul of all their belongings, and his wife by his side, Charlie made his way down to Galveston Island Texas, where he took a job as an Executive Chef at the Flagship Hotel. There his family expanded with the birth of their second child. After two years in the Texas heat, Charlie, Theresa & their two kids moved back to Northern Michigan to be closer to family and start a business that would later become a Traverse City staple.
In 1986, Charlie and Theresa opened the doors to the Chef's In. Anyone who has ever started a business knows that this doesn't come easy and not without a lot of hard work. Charlie alongside his wife, spent years working his butt off making ends meet and ensuring that his kids and wife were always supported. It took years, lots of adapting, sleepless nights, and good old hard work but Charlie found a recipe for success that made this business what it is today.
4AM Monday through Sunday Charlie was clocked into work, baking buns, making soup and salads, and prepping for the day. By 8AM when the first employee was walking in the door, Charlie had the dishes done, all the food prepped and made for the day and was long away from any sort of break. Lunch rush came quickly at the Chef's In and with a line out the front door, Charlie was hard at work making sandwiches behind the grill, filing people in just as fast as they filed out and never once compromising the quality of the food he put his name on. With two more sons that came along, Charlie had a growing family relying on him and success was always the only option. Lunch rush after lunch rush, catering job after catering job, Charlie was up way before most and didn't clock out till well after everyone had gone home for the day. While his family was always Charlie's top priority, he always found time and a way to give back to everyone around him. Often calling the firemen over from across the street after catering jobs so they could make a free hot meal with the leftovers.
One might recall the Chef's In's booth he had opened Cherry Festival week at the Open Space year after year, serving Turkey Cheddars and fresh fried onion rings. One however wouldn't know the work Charlie put into it, waking up at 2AM running back and forth between the Cherry Festival and the store front prepping, cooking, serving, cleaning only to find the clock strike midnight and there are only a couple hours to get some shut eye in his truck before waking up at 2AM to do it again.
Charlie loved his regulars at The Chef's In and he had hundreds of them. All not only known by their name but by sandwich. Quite often referring to people by the sandwich they ate.
Today his legacy lives on as The Chef's In is going strong and run by his sister-in-law Sara, who Charlie took under his wing.
In retirement, Charlie finally took a break but not for long as he found time for lots of activities. On any given day you might find him cooking a meal for his children, going to his grandchildren's school events, plowing the neighborhood road, woodworking, tending to his garden, collecting coins, helping a neighbor, pulling his children waterskiing or watching the ducks on the lake with his dog Shammy and his wife Theresa by his side.
For those who had the pleasure to know Charlie (which was a lot), they would tell you it was family, friends, and everyone else first, Charlie second. He was a devoted husband, loving father, and loyal friend. He taught his work ethic to so many and has helped countless people. He will be greatly missed as his legacy lives on through his wife, children, friends, business, and everyone he has touched.

Donations could be made to the Lake Association for a memoriam. Checks can be made payable to LLLA
P. O. Box 123, Leland, MI 49654-0123. Donations will support Lake Leelanau.