With loving thoughts, we celebrate the memory of Charles Richard Bender, born on July 14th, 1950. After 76 years of a full and rich life, Charles passed quietly in his sleep on the morning of August 24th, 2026. He leaves behind a loving wife, Gail of 55 years, four adult children Lisa (Ben), Jason (Lilibeth), Rachel (Jerry), and Megan (Jason) as well as three adult grandchildren, Dana, Alena and Wyatt. He leaves them all with a plethora of fond, whimsical and exciting life lessons.

There is no shortage of lives Charles touched and young minds he forged while serving the community as a football coach and active member of his church. Whether he was building cars, trikes, ranch structures, or the family home, his workmanship and careful attention to detail were present in every project he touched.

Charles will be remembered for his generosity to lend a hand, his tools, or help bring an idea to life. He passed on his love of history, watching DIY clips, westerns, fishing, water sports, and reading - gifting many of these passions to his children and grandchildren.

Charles served his family, his church, and his community, leaving behind a legacy of faith, dedication, and a lifetime of hard work. After years of showing up for others, it is now his time to rest in the presence of His Lord. He will be deeply missed until the day we meet again.

Graveside services will be held at 1 pm, August 28th, 2026, at Philibert Cemetery in Kimberling City, MO under the direction of Stumpff funeral Home, Kimberling City, MO. All friends are welcome to attend and join the family after the service to celebrate Chuck's life and support his wife and family with friendship.

We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness and with the mouth he confesses resulting in his salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." Romans 10:9-11