Charles E. Speaks (Ph.D.)

Age 89, of Woodbury, MN died on May 14, 2025.

Survived by sons, Charles Brandon Speaks (wife, Elizabeth Jensen) and Jeffrey Bryant Speaks (wife, Kelsey Speaks), grandchildren, Aurelia Joy Speaks, and Whitaker Charles Speaks.

Preceded in death by wife, Nancy E. Niccum; parents, Carl T. and Helen B. Speaks (Lowman); and brother, Robert A. Speaks.

Professor Speaks served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota for 39 years, including 22 years as Chair of the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, 7 years as Director of the Institute of Linguistics, English as a Second Language, and Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, and 1 year as Special Assistant to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. He received the Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Teacher Award, induction to the Chancellors Society of the Presidents Club, the Horace T. Morse—Minnesota Alumni Association Award, and he was a member of the University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Following his retirement in 2007 he published the fourth edition of his textbook, Introduction to Sound (2017) and a fifth edition in 2024, and in 2021 he published two papers on the behavior of financial markets in Academic Letters.

A celebration of life will be Saturday, June 28, 2025, 11:00 A.M. at First Presbyterian Church, 6201 Osgood Avenue North, Stillwater with visitation one hour prior to the service.

Memorials are preferred to the Charles E. Speaks Fellowship Fund, University of Minnesota Foundation Fund #7658.

Livestream for Charles Speaks Service