November 11, 1927 - December 17, 2019
Charles Robert "Charlie" Coghlin of Leawood, KS, passed away on December 17, 2019 at Research Medical Center. Charles was born November 11, 1927, and grew up with his older brother Tom. Charles married Jo Ann Murphy on February 20, 1954 at Visitation Church. They began their almost 60 years of married life in Kansas City MO and Detroit MI before settling back in their native Kansas City.
He raised five children and two collie dogs. Charlie was a devoted husband, father, and friend.
Charlie grew up in the Quality Hill area and belonged to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception parish. At an early age, Charlie was a frequent altar boy and volunteer at the parish, and became close friends with his parish priests during his early years. Charlie attended Catholic grade school and De LaSalle High School, graduating in 1945. He was an accomplished athlete, with baseball being his favorite and best sport. After High School, Charlie proudly served 2 years in the US Army and briefly considered the Army's offer for Officer Candidate School (OCS). Charlie was a Kansas Citian through and through, oftentimes hitchhiking from Fort Polk Louisiana to Kansas City for a 48 hour pass! Charlie began a long career in the railroad and trucking industry, beginning with Burlington Railroad/Truck lines, ending with Overnite Transportation, before retiring at the young age of 62. Charlie met the love of his life, JoAnn Murphy, in 1953 and married in 1954. They raised 5 children in Kansas City and briefly in Detroit, Michigan. Charlie was a great husband and father, and volunteered through the years in all of his children's activities, but was most passionate for his kids' sports while coaching multiple sports. He was a lifelong Notre Dame football fanatic, and he and JoAnn attended several games a year. After his retirement, Charlie and JoAnn spent the next 20+ years traveling the country, most notably New England in the fall and the desert Southwest in the winter. Although he often spoke of retiring in Arizona, he and JoAnn could never leave their hometown of Kansas City or their growing number of grandchildren. Charlie was a devout Catholic, attending mass nearly every day at both Nativity and his boyhood parish "Cathedral" He and Jo Ann were married for 59 years before her passing in June of 2013.
Charlie was preceded in death by his brother Tom and his parents Thomas and Katherine. He is survived by, daughters Mary Ann Porter (Charlie) of Leawood KS, and Colleen Patricia (Didi) Coghlin of Prairie Village, Ks sons Charles Robert Coghlin Jr. (Barbara) of Colorado Springs, CO, Mark Terrence Coghlin (Ann) of Addison, MI, Timothy Steven Coghlin (Mary), of Phoenix, AZ, and 10 grandchildren.
Visitation, 6-8 pm and the rosary will be prayed at 6pm at McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Rd., Kansas City, MO 64145 Friday, December 20. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, December 21st at 10:00 am, Church of the Nativity, 3800 West 119th St., Leawood, KS 66209. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, KS.
