Charipar, Kenneth Charles

Kenneth Charles Charipar, 80, died Monday, March 21, 2011, peacefully at home following a lengthy illness. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 25, at St. Jude Catholic Church where a rosary will be prayed at 3 p.m. and a vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Friends may also call beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 26, at St. Jude Catholic Church. The Rev. Dennis Quint will be officiating and the Rev. Mark Reasoner concelebrating. Burial will follow mass at St. John's Cemetery.

Ken is survived by wife of 60 years, Patricia; children, Diane (Tom) Stortz of Denver, Colo., Lisa (Mike) Boddicker of Overland Park, Kan., Brian (Annemarie) Charipar of Chicago, Gary (Mary) Charipar, Denise (Joe) Rodenkirk, Christine (Dean) Schulte, Karen (Curt) Woods, and Ken (Donna) Charipar of Cedar Rapids; 25 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren, who were the light of his life.

He is also survived by his siblings, Rita Wims of St. Louis, Mo., Dr. Dennis Charipar, Charles Charipar, Lawrence Charipar and Kathy Wise of Cedar Rapids.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Lucille; sister, Therese; and brother, Paul.

Ken was born Oct. 29, 1930, to Charles and Lucille Charipar. He was a 1948 graduate of Wilson High School. Ken married the love of his life, Patricia Bys, on Dec. 26, 1950.

Ken was dedicated to others in the most positive and competitive sense. He was challenging and inspirational; always knowing it was never all about him, but about the person or people he was with. Baseball happened to be his chosen “vehicle” to touch others. Ken worked at Charipar Plumbing for 40 years, but his legacy will be remembered around baseball. After leading Wilson High School to three consecutive state baseball championships he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1948; which led to a lifetime of coaching.

Among Ken's achievements, he managed the M-J league and American Legion teams for over 20 years. He also coached at the University of Iowa for 13 years, worked as a training coach with the 1982 United States Olympic team, and he ended his coaching career with the Thunder youth baseball team in 2003. Ken coached and mentored over 1,000 players, and was named to the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 2000, Xavier High School honored Ken by dedicating their baseball field as Ken Charipar Field.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. David Rater and staff at Cardiologists, L.C. and Kay of Mercy Care Hospice for their kindness and support.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Ken's memory to St. Vincent De Paul Society, Xavier High School or St. Jude Catholic Church.

Please sign the online guest book for Ken at under obituaries.