Charles Russell Lord, 82, of Plattsburg, MO, finished his race on this earth on July 31, 2025. He passed away at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO with family by his side.
He was born on September 12, 1942 to Kenneth Charles and Thurley Annette Lord in Marlette, MI. Charles was the oldest of the five Lord children. When Charles was five years old the Lord family moved from Michigan to Lamoni, Iowa where his parents opened the Whispering Pines Motel. He graduated from Lamoni High School in 1960 and attended Graceland College for one year.Charles enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1963. He completed airframe and powerplant training in Amarillo, TX and then was stationed at Grand Forks, Air Force Base, North Dakota. He became a Crew Chief on the KC-135 Stratotanker and served during the Vietnam War. He developed lifelong friendships from his Air Force service.
During his service in the military, Charles was praying for God to send him someone to love. One of his fellow airmen set him up on a blind date with a girl from his hometown of Kellogg, MN. It was love at first sight. After three dates, on May 14, 1966, he was united in marriage to Marlene Olson. They made their first home on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. After Charles was discharged from the Air Force, they moved to Smithville, MO where three daughters, Shelly, Kelly, and Kathy were born to their union.
Charles went to work for TWA on January 30, 1967. His girls to this day know his seniority date because that date was the golden ticket to soar the skies with TWA. Charles, Marlene, and girls traveled extensively via TWA term passes. Charles also had his private pilot license and his sea plane rating. He loved flying his Navion to visit family or to airshows. He was very intent on showing his family the world and was always planning his next vacation.
Family time was also spent at the Kansas City Municipal Airport, where he taught his daughters valuable skills, such as how to use a speed handle screw driver to open inspection panels on their Navion, properly disconnect and roll up an air hose, and bring the right tool to him. He proudly passed on his love of being an aircraft mechanic and service in the military to his daughter Kelly.
Charles retired from American Airlines in 2008 after 41 years with TWA and American Airlines and soon became a “Winter Texan” with his wife Marlene from December through March each year. They lived in Pharr, TX in a community of fellow TWA and American Airlines retirees where they developed many special friendships.
Charles and Marlene spent the week before Labor Day in Rollag, MN preparing for the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion (WMSTR). During the annual show, you would find Charles driving a tractor pulling a wagon that shuttled people around and Marlene served as the greeter. In their later years, they restored an antique TC-12 Euclid Bulldozer that Charles would run in the “The Sandbox” at WMSTR.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 55 years, Marlene, his parents Kenneth, and Thurley Lord; brother Douglas Lord and granddaughter Megan Feldmann.
Charles is survived by his daughter Shelly Lord; daughter Kelly (Doug) Feldmann; daughter Kathy (Brad) Smith; grandchildren Grace (Samuel) Stanton, Sarah Feldmann, Savannah (John) Winkler, Peter Smith, Carissa Smith, Ashlyn Smith and Jacob Smith; brother Richard (Imelda) Lord, brother David (Rebecca) Lord, sister Nancy (Ernesto) Rabago, sister-in-law Thelma Holland, brother-in-law Bo Olson; sister-in-law Elaine Olson; three nieces, five nephews and many beloved friends.
Visitation: 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. with Celebration of Life Service at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 5th at Prevail Church, 300 S. Bridge St, Smithville, MO. Burial: Second Creek Cemetery, 4214 NW Cookingham Drive, Kansas City, MO. Memorial Donations may be made to Second Creek Cemetery
