Charles Terry Harant passed away peacefully in the Benefis ICU on Monday March 9, 2026, after a prolonged illness. Born to John and Zora (Taras) Harant on January 31, 1943, Chuck was the ninth of ten children.
Chuck was raised in Black Eagle and made the small community his lifelong home. The adventure stories of growing up post WWII would make current parents cringe. Some of these adventures include playing and fishing on the Black Eagle Dam and riding the trolley car alone from Black Eagle to Great Falls at the age of six. His roots were in Black Eagle, and the roots of a tree cannot be pulled from the ground easily. Zora became a widow when John passed away in 1953. Chuck was ten. At that time Chuck became the man of the house with his mother and sisters to care for. This caring extended throughout his life.
In the summer of 1958 Chuck met Sylvia Ezell at Mitchell Pool. He was 15 and she was 14. During their teen years he would fill his truck with feed for her menagerie of animals and haul it to her home on the west side of Great Falls. The couple always had their group of friends in the iconic 1950’s style. Chuck and Sylvia were married on February 16, 1963, at St Joseph’s Catholic Church. The reception was an event filled with party much to Sylvia’s chagrin.
Soon after, Chuck and Sylvia welcomed three daughters - Sarah, Jenny, and Dawn - to the family. Chuck invited his daughters into his life by sharing his Catholic faith with them, going camping at Gibson reservoir, and teaching them to have a strong work ethic. He was proud of Sarah for her writing, Dawn for her music, and Jenny for her degree in education. He was proud all of his daughter’s talents and accomplishments.
Before embarking on his 63-year sheet metal career, he held various jobs including a pin setter at the ACM Club House, Great Falls Tribune press man, the Anaconda Company Refinery, and as a roofer. In 1963 while going to college for accounting Chuck changed occupations to become a union Sheet Metal worker at A.T. Klemens. In 1989, Chuck became a majority partner at B&B Heating and Air Conditioning and went into business with his son-in-law Rory Peck in 1997. This partnership continued for 29 years. Chuck was proud of the fact that he gave many family members employment over the years.
Chuck stayed rooted through civic engagements. He was the Secretary / Treasurer of the local Sheet Metal Union in the 1970’s, a board member of SMACNA, and apprenticeship teacher, and other union committees. In 1971 Chuck was one of the founding members of the Black Eagle Volunteer Fire Department, in which he was the training officer for close to 20 years. He was the last surviving member of the original fire men to stay active until retirement. Chuck was a founding member of the Black Eagle Civic Club and was instrumental in getting the Black Eagle Community Center up and running when Black Eagle got the Community Center from the Anaconda Company. He was on the original board of directors and an avid Monday night bowler. A major contribution to the community was his position as the Chairman of the Board for the Black Eagle-Cascade County Water & Sewer District since the district was acquired from the Anaconda Company in 1981. He held this position until his death, in which he oversaw the over ten million dollars in water and sewer main upgrades in the last 45 years.
It was evident that Chuck had a love for old cars. The office at B&B was filled with car calendars. A highlight of the year was taking his cars to Cruzin’ the Drag, and other car shows. He was a member of the Other Guys Car Club and rarely missed the Wednesday car guys’ lunch. Another highlight for Chuck were his monthly class luncheons. Chuck’s favorite place in the world was Gibson Reservoir, and he longed to go there one more time.
Chuck prepared for death the way he had lived: with his Catholic faith front and center. He was an active member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, and a fourth-degree knight of Knights of Columbus for 50 years. He faithfully attended Our Lady of Lourdes and St Ann’s parishes. He had a strong personal devotion and prayed a nightly rosary followed by a chaplet of divine mercy until his death. His granddaughter, Hannah, held his hand as he prayed his final rosary.
Preceding Chuck in death were his beloved wife Sylvia, of 61 years, his parents, brothers John (Olive), Bill, Bob (Jo), and Jerry, sisters Dorothy (Bob), and Leone (DuWayne), and Jere Maffit, Chuck’s lifelong friend, also preceded him in death.
Surviving Chuck are his sisters Marilyn (Dee) Wilson, Gail Zarr, and Alice Smock. His daughters Sarah (Rory) Peck, Jenny (Mark) Grasseschi, and Dawn (Dave) Bushard. The light of Chuck’s life, his grandchildren, Matthew (Sabra) Peck, Stephen Peck, Meghan (Stephen) Horn, Molly (Taylor) Reese, Hannah McEntee, Luke McEntee, Brenna (Jeff) Adkins, Baylee Bushard, Julia Bushard, Sophia Bushard, Nicole (Scott) Maciel, Andrew Chapman, and Patrick Chapman and great-grandchildren Halen Glueckert, Alice Peck, Gabriel Peck, Charlotte Peck, Lucia Horn, Samuel Horn, Joseph Horn, Rayne Reese, Rowen Reese, Rhett Reese, Cooper Adkins, Zoey Adkins, Tyson Maciel, and Victoria Maciel. Devout friends, Don Hanson and Johnny Peco. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Services will be at St Ann’s Cathedral, 715 3rd Ave North. The vigil is at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday March 19, 2026, and the funeral will be on Friday March 20, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the Black Eagle Volunteer Fire Department PO Box 533 Black Eagle 59414, St Michael Radio po Box 6116 Great Falls 59406, or St Ann’s Soup Kitchen 715 3rd Ave North Great Fall 59401.
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