In Remembrance Of
Charles “Charlie” Connett
Charles Squire Connett
April 3, 1943 – February 27, 2023
Charles Squire Connett, 79, of St Joseph, MO passed away February 27, 2023.
Charles (Charlie) Connett was the son of Edgar Leonard Connett and Edna (Lewis) Connett, both now deceased. He grew up on the family farm 7 miles south of St. Joseph and 3 miles north of Faucett. He had two older brothers: Franklin Gilmore (b. 1933), now deceased, and John Connett (b. 1941), Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. Charlie attended Sparta School, a one-room school south of St. Joseph, for six years. When Sparta was closed in 1955, Charlie went to Buchanan County RV Consolidated School in Faucett, graduating from high school in 1961. Charlie then attended Missouri Western, then the University of Missouri, ultimately earning a bachelor’s degree from UM’s highly regarded School of Journalism in Columbia.
Charlie joined the U.S. Navy and served for 4 years in the 1960s. He served on the aircraft carriers USS Essex, Yorktown, and Randolph. His tour in the Navy included port calls to ports in France, Canary Islands, Italy, Greece and other European sites, Brazil, Boston, Providence, Norfolk, and the Great Lakes station in Chicago. He worked primarily in communications, attaining the rank of Petty Officer.
After his service in the Navy, Charlie had several jobs that included newspaper reporting in Amarillo, Kingman (Arizona), Kansas City, and Cedar Rapids. He also worked as a filing clerk for a law firm in Kansas City. He worked for 17 years at the Walmart store on the north Belt. For several years he served as a volunteer for Second Harvest Heartland, assembling food packages to needy families in St. Joseph; also for Meals on Wheels and Backpack Buddies. He was named in a St. Joseph Citizens Award for his charitable work.
Beginning in about 2015, Charlie had a series of illnesses, an ankle replacement operation, and a cardiac operation, which caused him to retire from Walmart. In 2020, he took up residence at Country Squire, a retirement community on the east side of St. Joseph, and made several friendships there.
Charlie was outgoing and gregarious, and had many friends from high school, from Second Harvest Heartland, from other residents at Country Squire, and among people he knew at the Farris truck stop in Faucett. An especially close and very helpful friend was his first cousin, Richard Williams, of Lake Waukomis north of Kansas City.
Charlie experienced a steep decline in strength and health in the fall of 2022, and in January of 2023 moved to Carriage Square, a nursing and rehab facility not far from Country Squire. He was recently diagnosed with an unfortunate case of severe pneumonia, which led to his death at Mosaic Hospital in St. Joseph.
Charlie’s passions in life included 1960s rock music, politics, comics in the newspaper, and pork tenderloin sandwiches. He will be remembered and sadly missed by family and co-workers and friends who came to know him. A memorial fund in his honor will be established with Second Harvest Heartland in St. Joseph.
Graveside Service with Military Honors 2:30 pm Thursday March 9 at Leavenworth National Cemetery Arrangements by Hixson-Klein Funeral Home, Gower
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2 comments
Nancy connett Hutchins
I’m sorry for your loss. My dad was Leslie Leonard Connett Junior. I remember Charlie when we would visit Uncle Edgar and Aunt Edna. My condolences for your loss.
Dick Williams
I am Charlie’s First Cousin and live in Kansas city – his only local kin with regular contact.
. A service with military honors was held March 9th at the Leavenworth National Cemetery and his remains were inurned in the Columbarium – a memorial wall with cremated remains. Charlie’s life consisted of both pleasures and pain – like everyone’s. His Navy service from 1966 to 1971 was honored with military honors rendered by two Navy officers and a Petty Officer, the playing of Taps and the folding of the US flag which was presented to his brother John. Charlie will be remembered for his volunteer work with Second Harvest, his seventeen years at the north Walmart and his knowledge and love of early rock and roll. He worked as a reporter early in his life, later in the Watson Ess law firm in Kansas City and finally the north Walmart in St. Joe. He was proud of his Walmart service and the excellent record he achieved there. He was named St. Joseph’s “Citizen of the Year” for his Second Harvest, Meals on Wheels and Backpack Buddies volunteer work. He made a difference in the lives of many in St. Joe.
Charlie and I spent many hours together – we ate at nearly every fast food outlet and sit-down restaurant in St. Joe . Some of his favorites s were Long John Silver and Freddies on the Belt and Ben Magoon’s on South 8th Street in St.. Joe. While in the car I would pester him by singing the refrain from”Tumbling Tumbleweeds” to the point of fatigue – his fatigue – and pleas to stop. The relation was not one-sided – I gained much from Charlie while assisting him as his mobility decreased and his needs increased.
Please remember him for his best attributes and the way he bore his burdens late in life. I used the word “endurance’ more and more and Charlie did endure. I thank all who helped him and were kind to him- Edith Farrell – neighbor at Cottonwood Creek, Mike McAvoy – neighbor at his Faucett home, Scott and Richard and Mike – table mates at Country Squire – and the entire Staff – dining room and building staff – at Country Squire especially Lori in housekeeping, also the Freudenthal staff. Finally all his coworkers in the north Walmart. He loved to return there for needed items but I think mostly to say hello to everyone on the floor. Charlie was known by many throughout St. Joe and whenever we’d eat out he’d he’d spot someone from his Walmart days. He was good at recognizing people from his past , even at a distance.
His brother John and I thank all who befriended Charlie in his five years in St. Joe after leaving the Faucett home. Charlie endured and I admired that endurance even as his health declined in the latter part of his life.We’d also like to thank Jack Klein and Christa Musser for their help in arrnging for the services at the Leavenworth National Cemetery.