Charles Kunkle

Charles Richard Kunkle went to be with Jesus, his Lord and Savior on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Charles “Chuck” was preceded in death by his parents, William and Elizabeth Kunkle; and his sister, Ruth Kunkle. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years, Kathy (Hess) Kunkle; children: Jeff (Angela) Kunkle, Heidi (Jeff) Frazee, and Nathan (Stacie) Kunkle; 21 grandchildren: Drew (Rachel), Joe (Meghan), Harley, Abby, Zach, Eliana, Noah, Jethro, Anna, Judah, Katy, Sophia, Eva, Adam, Gideon, Dorothy, Asa, Drissa, Caleb, Jacob, and Levi; one great-grandchild, George and another great-grandchild expected in December; sister, Lois (Dean) Kramer; sister-in-law, Cindy (Tom) Kasper; and his nieces, great-nieces, and great-nephews. 

Chuck was born on July 23, 1946, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the nearby town of Armbrust. He went on to attend Elizabethtown College in eastern Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Accounting. He learned about missionary aviation while attending the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship conference in Urbana, Illinois, in 1967. This led him to pursue further education at Moody Bible Institute (MBI) in Chicago, Illinois, in 1968. It was there that he met his future bride, Kathy. Chuck completed two years at MBI in Chicago, and then two years of flight school at Moody Aviation in Elizabethton, Tennessee, where he received a Bachelor Degree in Missionary Aviation Technology. He and Kathy were married in 1971. In 1973, they joined Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), answering the call to foreign missions, going first to language school in Besancon, France, with their infant son in 1974, and to serve in Zaire (DRC) in 1975. 

Chuck and Kathy would go on to serve with MAF in West Africa for 26 years (Democratic Republic of the Congo-3 years, Cameroon-7 years, Mali-16 years). Heidi was born in the DRC and Nathan in Cameroon. Chuck flew in many challenging weather conditions, landing on a variety of airstrips, and operated multiple types of aircraft. A number of times, he trekked into the mountains to places unreachable by roads. There he gave directions to villagers on how to cut down trees and to prepare the ground to build an airstrip that would allow the airplane to safely land, connecting these remote areas with the outside world. During his time in Africa, he wore other hats as well, including Accountant, Aircraft Mechanic, and Program Director. Many lives were impacted by his and Kathy’s years of service. 

Chuck and Kathy returned permanently to the U.S. in 2001, where Chuck soon began flying for several private charter companies. He would eventually work full-time for Tulip City Air Service in Holland, Michigan, until his retirement in 2015. By the time he retired, he had logged 14,173 flight hours and 45 years of flying. Many would attest to his impeccable attention to detail and his outstanding flying record. In retirement, Chuck spent time with his family, cared for his in-laws, was a committed prayer warrior at church and at home, and became an avid biker which included participating in a weekly bike group. On his own, he would often bike up to 15 miles a day. 

A private committal service was held on November 10, 2026, at Georgetown Township Cemetery in Hudsonville, Michigan, and a Celebration of Life will be held early in 2027.

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“And to everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29).

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).