Funeral Mass for William "Charlie" Charles Caulk

William "Charlie" Charles Caulk

June 19, 1932 - July 27, 2020

William Charles (Charlie) Caulk was born on June 19, 1932 to William Paul Caulk and Elizabeth Ann (Teson) Smart in Kansas City, MO.  He passed away on July 27, 2020 in Plano, TX.  He grew up in the downtown Kansas City area, attending Catholic schools and graduated from De La Salle Military Academy in 1949.  Shortly afterward, he began his career at Sears Roebuck & Co.  He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, serving much of that time in Alaska.  Upon returning from military service, he returned to work at Sears, attended Rockhurst College and graduated with a degree in business June 1961.

A significant portion of Charlie’s childhood was spent with his maternal grandparents, William (Bill) and Susan (Susie) Teson.  He was close to his aunts and uncle, Sister Mary Jane Teson, Mike Teson, and Mary Catherine (Teson) Bruegging.

In 1955 while working at the Sears store located on the Plaza in Kansas City, Charlie met a young woman working in the store office. Her name was Cathy “Kitten” Connelly.  The following year, on April 21, 1956 he married Catherine (Cathy) Ann Connelly and they settled in Raytown, a suburb of Kansas City.  The couple had four daughters: Susie, Karen, Colleen, and Donna.  Charlie and Cathy also had a son who was stillborn.  He was named William Charles Caulk Jr.   His remains are buried in Roswell, NM.  

In the summer of 1964, Charlie and Cathy left their hometown when Sears transferred Charlie to Austin, Texas.  Over the remaining years of Charlie’s long career with Sears, he achieved numerous promotions that provided him opportunities in purchasing, store management and merchandising management. These opportunities resulted in multiple relocation’s for the family that included Houston, TX, Roswell, NM, Port Arthur, TX, Shreveport, LA, Oklahoma City, OK and finally the Dallas, TX area where Charlie and Cathy settled in Plano. 

Throughout their married life Charlie and Cathy grew to love the southwest.  Charlie took up golf while living in Roswell.  Golf was a life-long passion up to the final days of his life. 

Charlie and Cathy were passionate and devout Catholics.  Charlie was involved in the Men’s Club at several of the parishes they were members of over the years. Charlie and Cathy lived a significant portion of their married life in Plano, TX and the community of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church was like their second home.  When the parish planned and built the columbarium in a garden setting on the parish grounds, they decided that was where they wanted to spend eternal life together.  Cathy passed away in November 2017 after a long illness and the family will place Charlie in his final resting place next to his beloved “Kitten.”

Charlie and Cathy loved their “empty” nest years.  They enjoyed going out to movies and dinner, country western dancing, and going on cruises.  They took several cruises to locations including Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, a wine cruise on the west coast and a fall foliage cruise along the New England coast.
 
Survivors include children Susie Morgal, Karen Caulk, Colleen Zuberbier and husband Roger, Donna Latham and husband Scot.  Former son-in-law, Mike Morgal.  Grandchildren Kimberly Morgal, Matthew Morgal and wife Erin, Christopher Morgal and wife Alexandra and Jonathan Latham.  Great grandchildren Maxwell Morgal and Mason Morgal.  Sister-in-law, Pat Lowe, brother-in-law, John Connelly and life- long friends Helyn and Larry Nash.
 
Family and friends will gather at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church at 11am on August 31, 2020 for Charlie’s Memorial Service and interment alongside his wife in the parish garden columbarium.