Charles Arthur Loomis

Chuck worked as an accountant for many years, beginning his career in the corporate world. At age 50, after having enough of office politics, he launched his own venture, Business Data Associates.

More a man of numbers than words, Chuck served clients for years from his office at 95th Street and Antioch before eventually moving the business to his home. People enjoyed bringing their yearly tax paperwork to Chuck’s house and would often stay to chat with him and his wife, Jackie.

Chuck was also an athlete and a huge sports fan. Growing up in Kansas City, he never forgot the influence the Kansas City Boys Club had on his life or how that community resource encouraged him to focus on both academics and athletics.

Charles earned high marks in high school and graduated second in his class. His abilities in basketball earned him a full-ride basketball scholarship to CMSU. The decision to accept the scholarship was not as easy as it might sound, since a couple of Major League Baseball teams also wanted to sign Chuck to a minor league contract. Ultimately, Chuck chose the practical path of continuing his education and earned a degree in accounting.

After graduating from college, Chuck already had an accounting job waiting for him in Washington, D.C. Before leaving, he gave Jackie a ring. He worked in Washington for about a year before being drafted into the Army and sent to Japan for 18 months.

When the Army discovered that Chuck could play baseball, representing his country for the Army team became his new job. The team played in South Korea, where Chuck recalled North Korean soldiers standing on a hill with guns by their sides, watching the game in the valley below.

After his service in the military, Chuck married Jackie two months later. They were married for 68 years.

Chuck’s love of playing basketball and baseball began in high school and continued until he was 50 years old. He played on many softball and basketball teams through his workplaces and Holmeswood Baptist Church, where he also served as a deacon. One summer, Chuck played on three different softball teams!

Football was another passion of Chuck’s. In 1966, he became a Kansas City Chiefs season ticket holder. He remained a regular attendee for the next 50 years before passing the season ticket legacy down to his son Matthew and daughter in-law Royale, building a 60-year legacy of KC sports fandom that includes over 500 Chiefs games, many Royals contests and some exciting NBA games when the Kings were in town. Including the Conference Finals and their last game at Kemper Arena.

The last Chiefs game Chuck attended at Arrowhead Stadium was a Monday Night Football game in 2014, when Chiefs fans set a new Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium, reaching an eardrum-breaking 142.2 decibels. Chuck was 80 years old and added his voice to that unforgettable night.

In his later years, Chuck and Ann O’Hare teamed up to open a community center at the corner of Holmes Road and 99th Street. Through their efforts, an old bank building that had sat empty for years was transformed into a gathering place for South Kansas City, where groups, clubs, and organizations could hold meetings and events.

Never one to enjoy standing still, Chuck became director of the Trailside Center after selling his accounting practice. He loved that period of his life and made sure the center always had a volunteer ready to greet travelers stopping by to learn about Kansas City, pick up free brochures, or get a map of the city’s iconic places to visit.

Chuck enjoyed serving the community and continued working at the Trailside Center into his late 80s. He loved spending time there and enjoyed anything connected to the Linden Hills neighborhood and the South Kansas City community. In 2017, Chuck Loomis received the Outstanding Citizenship and Volunteer Award from the South Kansas City Alliance for his work at the Trailside Center, and in 2018 he received the Missouri State Senior Service Award.

Your family will miss you so much, Chuck. But you are with JESUS, and we will be together again in Heaven.