Lanski family remembrance
Charles “Chaz” Lanski
March 8, 1965 – October 8, 1998
Brother. Husband to Kim. Father to Carson. Friend to so many.
Chaz found joy in family, old friends, music, and the simple pleasure of a good evening together. His messages and the memories collected by his friends let us hear his voice again.
“Of course, the real fun was just getting to spend some time with my wife and son together.”
In his own words
Family, friendship, a misty drive through the mountains, and the joy of being Carson’s dad. Six posts by Chaz and two messages from Kim, preserved from 1997–1998.
Photographs & friends
Family photographs and nine moments from the Carolina Cigar Crawl in August 1998, with the original captions.
Wedding & funeral memories
The song Chaz and Kim chose for their first dance, and the poem on his funeral prayer card, remembered by Dave Donnelly.
Jazz for Chaz
A December 4, 1998 celebration of his life, with music, friends, family, and the surviving event photographs.
A community’s care for Carson
The Carson Lanski Scholarship Fund and the auctions, raffles, and gatherings that helped it surpass its original goal.
A life remembered in the press
An account of Fluto Shinzawa’s November 19, 1998 perspective in The Daily Free Press.
A life shared
Chaz and Kim’s friendship grew into love, and they married in November 1994. Their son, Carson Edward Lanski, was born on November 10, 1997. In his posts, Chaz wrote about the wonder of becoming a father, the importance of friendships that began in junior high school, and evenings on the porch with Kim and Carson.
He belonged to alt.smokers.cigars (ASC), the Jersey Shore Cigar Crawl, and the Carolina Cigar Crawl. After his death on October 8, 1998, friends across the country came together to remember him and support Carson’s education. The saved memorial page, updated June 5, 1999, recorded more than $21,500 raised against an original $10,000 goal.
About this remembrance
These pages were restored from the family’s saved copies of the Internet Cigar Group memorial, the CigarNexus scrapbook, and a Daily Free Press article. Original photographs and captions have been retained. Historical reports describe what was known at the time; they do not establish later outcomes for the fund or Carson’s education.
Old links have been replaced with links within this remembrance wherever the corresponding material survives. Missing material is identified without a dead link. Period fundraising notices are kept as history.