Charles Urias

Charles (Charlie) Urias was born in Kansas City, Missouri on July 31st, 1968 to Jose and Mary Urias. He was a super precocious child, even climbing out of the back of the station wagon on one family trip to Texas, only to be accidently left behind at the gas station. Nobody is sure if he learned his lesson on that day. He was a lifelong Hickman Mills resident, and graduated from Ruskin High School in 1987. He played football and wrestled for a very short period during high school. Charlie had a work ethic like no other and began working during high school, and has held multiple jobs over the years. From his beginning at Joe's and the laundry mat, to many years at House of Lloyd and Car Quest, and a year in construction, to even Walmart, he worked very hard to provide for not only his family, but for anyone that crossed his path in need … without question.

After years of crossing paths during childhood, and again during high school, Charlie met Tamara for keeps in April of 1999. Bonding over a “Friends” marathon, and quickly finding out that they had the perfect amount of Yin to Yang, the two became engaged in March of 2000, and married on August 18th, 2001, making a new family of three with Tamara’s daughter Rebekkah. They introduced each other to a new world they may have never have experienced before. Charlie grew an appreciation for the theatre, opera, fried crappie and Wham, and he taught Tamara about hockey, Iron Man, Calvin and Hobbs, and salsa cereal. Charlie loved to reminisce about his favorite moment with Rebekkah, which was at an American Girl Tea on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on their first family trip.

In 2005, as their lives were taking off, Charlie took a fall and fractured his hip. He had to have it replaced, and developed a staph infection that colonized his body. Thus began Charlie’s long fight for his life. Over the next 19 years he endured over 70 surgeries, 14 battles with sepsis, 2 joint replacements, 2 limb amputations, 2 years of bed confinement, 3 rounds on a vent, renal failure, liver failure, and in the end, heart failure. In spite of all the pain and suffering and emasculation of these struggles, everyone who truly knew Charlie, could testify to the fact that he was a beacon of hope. Although frustrated by his limitations, he never complained and worked to find new ways to function. He would even go so far as to comfort his own caregivers when they were struggling to address his needs.

During all of his struggles, he fought like no other. His family was his focus and his reason, particularly his baby girl, Lexi. She entered their life in 2009 and Charlie was never the same. After his second hip replacement, they actually learned to walk together just before her first birthday. They shared a love of rock and roll, Marvel, DC, and Disney movies. In 2012, when his grandson Aiden came along, those things carried on between the three of them.

Charlie’s love for and vast knowledge of music was impressive to say the least. Kiss, Alice in Chains, 70s and 80s, Weird Al, Frank Sinatra, Barry White … the list goes on. However, his first love, the one group above all others, was RUSH. Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart. These were his people. His first artificial leg was even created in their image. When Neil Peart succumbed to cancer in 2020, Charlie was devastated, but his love for the group as a whole, and all of Neil’s accomplishments never wavered.

Charlie was an avid trivia master. Stemming from his obsession with Bob Barker and The Price is Right, as well as Jeopardy, his random knowledge base was extensive. He never felt he was very smart, but many people have reached out to him for a song title from only a few words or the king of some random country that did something crazy in the 1600's, and he always came up with the right answer. It was magical to witness. Charlie’s love of movies also contributed to his trivia database. Among his favorites were “Star Wars” where he perfected his Chewbacca impression, “Princess Bride” and “Half Baked” which he would quote incessantly, and of course “A Christmas Story” which would play for 24 hours in his home every Christmas Eve.

Let us not forget football, hockey, and professional wrestling. These were the sports he would schedule his life around. Originally, he was a Cowboys fan growing up, but his loyalty had been wavering for year due to some questionable coaching and QB choices. However, after a bet with his dad in 2018, Charlie converted to a Chiefs fan, and never looked back. Around that same time, he took a customer relations job with the Kansas City Chiefs. He only was able to do that for a few seasons, but he will tell you it was his favorite job that he was the proudest of. He was thrilled to see the Chiefs win three Superbowls!

Charlie was full of compassion for people, and would help out those in need in any way he could. He spent many hours volunteering at school vision screenings, Special Olympics, and Hope Network Angel Tree events. On more than one occasion, he has literally given his shirt off his back to others. In another compassionate moment during the holiday season, after losing half of his foot, he still pushed an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair up a steep incline at Silver Dollar City to catch up to his family. His pain did not matter, because he had so much joy helping him out. He enjoyed assisting others and was happy to turn it into a learning experience, like working with his brother-in-law, Doug, and son-in-law, AJ, during our remodel. Another job that Charlie thoroughly enjoyed, was working for Another Day Home Care. Ironically, this was a service provided to disabled clients to care for them and be a companion during the day, which he himself could never qualify for, but he was very attached to his own clients when he was able to provide. One of his clients was a dear family friend of ours who Charlie was very attached to and drew part of his own strength in his health fight, from the battle that this young man waged every day. Charlie was always just a phone call away for his friends and family, whether they needed his strength, his knowledge, or just his broad shoulders to cry on.

Sadly, on October 11, 2024, Charlie was taken from us much too soon. He passed away peacefully at the young age of 56, at Providence Medical Center, following a harrowing multi decade long progressive illness.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Jose and Mary Urias, and his in-laws Bob and Betty Martin. He is survived by his loving wife of 23 years, Tamara Urias as well as his children Lexi Urias, Rebekkah Hutchens (AJ), and grandson Aiden Hutchens, all of Kansas City; his siblings Hilda Cisneros (James) of Olathe, Lupe Urias (Leah) of Kansas City, Susan Shuler (Frank) of Peculiar, Vanessa Kline (Tasha) of Kansas City, sister-in law Traci Martin of Au Train, Michigan, brother-in-law Douglas Martin of Kansas City, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, caregivers and beloved friends.

A rosary prayer will be held on Monday, October 21st at 5:30pm, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO, 64131. Visitation will follow rosary from 6:00 to 8:00pm, with eulogistic service immediately after at 8:00pm. Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, October 22nd at 12:00pm at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 2552 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. There will be a processional back to Mount Moriah Cemetery following mass for interment.