Chuck grew up in Missouri and Virginia, graduating from Liberal High School in 1953 Liberal, MO, where he played baseball and basketball. After attending High School, Chuck joined the Air Force and served as an aircraft mechanic as both an active-duty airman and reservist until he was honorably discharged in 1961. In 1953, he began working with Braniff Airlines in Kansas City, Missouri, beginning a 35-year career in the airline industry that saw him stationed in Kansas City and Denver. It was during his early years with Braniff that Chuck met the love of his life, Gerri, who also worked for Braniff in Kansas City. From 1958 to 1969, Chuck and Gerri moved from Kansas City to Denver and back, finally settling in the Midwest when they bought a 135-acre farm near Gower, Missouri. Chuck worked for Braniff in the evenings and farmed during the day until Braniff expansion led to senior positions establishing operations in St. Louis, Tucson and Orlando.

Deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970’s led to considerable volatility and combined with high fuel prices in the late 1980’s, work in the industry became unpredictable. So at 55, after 35 years in the industry and with the encouragement of his younger sister, Joyce, Chuck changed careers by obtaining technician credentials to support the growing market for personal computers, especially Apple products. Chuck joined Adam’s Computer (owned by Joyce) one of the first Apple Authorized Resellers in the country in 1989. After selling the family farmhouse in Gower in 1990, Gerri joined Chuck in Denver. Chuck pursued this second career with a variety of firms until retiring from Douglas County Schools system in 2007.

With the move to Denver area in 1990, Chuck and Gerri enjoyed watching daughter Julie meet and marry Brian Berner of Denver and raise Cory and Reilly. With weekends full of dune buggy adventures and youth soccer tournaments, mixed with travel and visits to Washington, DC, to see son Dan, his wife Heidi and grandson Zack, Chuck and Gerri led full lives full of laughs and love.

With granddaughter Reilly attending Creighton, and Julie taking a position with Children’s Hospital in Omaha, Chuck and Gerri decided to make the move to be close to family in 2020. Despite increasing health issues, Chuck kept his great sense of humor even after the loss of Gerri in September of 2025. During his last few months, Chuck was buoyed by near constant visits by his extended family. Including Dan, Julie, Cory, Reilly, Joyce, and nephew Bob Webb and his wife Beth of Lincoln and their sons Patrick and Andrew.

In honor of Chuck and Gerri’s wedding on February 1, 1958 at St. Mary Catholic Church, a joint Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 30, 2026 at the St. Mary Catholic Church in St. Mary, Nebraska with Father Christopher Kubat officiating. Chuck and Gerri will be interred in a graveside service immediately following in the St. Mary Catholic Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Wherry Mortuary, Tecumseh, NE.