Charles Davis Folkers

She was born on July 26, 1934, the only child of Elwyn and Elizabeth (Davis) Volkers in Lima, Ohio. Chuck grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Peabody High School, where at age 16 he met his high school sweetheart and future wife, Marjorie “Margie” Ann Babb, at church and choir camp. While in high school, Chuck worked to become an Eagle Scout and a 32nd Class Freemason.

After graduating from high school in 1952, Chuck attended Penn State University, joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and ROTC, and became a lifelong Nittany Lyon alumnus. He was active in PSU and Phi Psi alumni classes wherever he lived throughout his life.

After graduating from college, Chuck served in the US Air Force as a navigator for three years in Texas, California, and Nebraska, reaching the rank of captain. On February 22, 1957, he and Margie married at Heinz Church in Pittsburgh.

After joining the Air Force, he began his career first in sales with Proctor & Gamble and then in life insurance, and is a certified Chartered Life Underwriter and Certified Financial Advisor. While busy working and raising three children, Chuck earned his law degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa in 1972. His JD led him into estate planning as vice president of Connecticut General Life Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut and Denver, Colorado. In 1977, he became Vice President of Advanced Sales at Business Assurance Company (BMA) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Retirement in 2002 led to a move to The Villages, Florida, where Chuck enjoyed golf, fishing, kayaking, swimming, and race walking, as well as international travel with Margie to many continents and countries, often joined by friends.

Chuck has always been active in his local church wherever he lives, and was a founding member of Hope United Methodist Church in Englewood, Colorado. Chuck’s lifelong faith journey created a deep connection at Resurrection Church in Leewood, Kansas, and he continued that journey as a founding member of the New Testament United Methodist Church in the Villages. He served on many boards and committees, sang in the choir and with the Gospel Notes Group, helped at the men’s breakfast, taught pupils one through four, and led many small groups for men. He was very proud of his involvement in growing the Seeds of Hope Ministry, and providing food for the Wildwood community. Chuck’s strong faith has provided him with strength and guidance throughout his life, and he takes it seriously to never “retire from God,” but to “do good deeds.”

Chuck and Margy easily made close and lifelong friendships wherever they lived. Lovers of fun and laughter, sports, games, golf, weekends on the lake, parties, family get-togethers, and family vacations all over the country, they’ve spent an amazing 66 and a half years together. Chuck loved fishing and boating and cherished fishing and weekends on the Lake of the Ozarks with close friends and family. A self-proclaimed “popular person”, Chuck has always had a lot of fun with his family and dear friends throughout his life. He appreciated each of them and expressed how happy he was to have so many friends in his life.

Chuck is preceded by death by his parents. He was survived by his wife, Marjorie. three children, Vicki Cantrell (Mark) from Denver, Linda Fawcett (John) from Overland Park, and Dr. David Folkers (Jennifer) from Austin; nine grandchildren, David (Jessica), Stephen (Amanda) Cantrell, Shannon Bollinger (Tyler), Jake Fawcett, Jennifer Smith (Jordan), Brian, Kyle, Mia and Kira Volkers; And also 4 great-grandchildren.

Whether we knew him as Charles, Chuck, Charlie, Dad, Uncle Chuck, Grandpa or Great-Grandpa, he was absolutely loved and will be sorely missed. We are celebrating 89 years of his good life.

The funeral will be held at Wesley-Covenant Chapel, 13720 Roe Blvd, Leawood, KS on Saturday, September 16 at 3 p.m. The service will be followed by a reception.

The service will be broadcast live at 3pm, please join using the “Join Live” button below.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Seeds of Hope Missions by mailing donations to New Covenant United Methodist Church, 3470 Woodridge Drive, The Villages, FL 32162 (please note: In memory of Charles Folkers; Seeds of Hope), or to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Folk memories and words of sympathy can be shared at www.mtmoriah.net for the Folkers family.