Charles Benard 'Chuck' Kitowski Obituary

May 21, 1947 ~ December 31, 2025

Charles Bernard 'Chuck' Kitowski, Jr, was born in San Antonio, Texas, on May 21, 1947, the first of Zenia and Charles Kitowski's eight children. He passed away in Katy, Texas, on December 31, 2025, after being diagnosed with cancer in August. He was 78 years old.

Besides San Antonio, Chuck called Houston, Corpus Christi, and Dallas home and spent eight years in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as a youngster. He graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas in 1965 and from the University of Dallas in 1969 with a degree in Chemistry. After performing graduate work in his field at North Texas State University, he spent a brief time in the Naval Air Force.

He met his wife, Theresa, through a mutual friend when Theresa was employed at MD Anderson in Houston, teaching Medical Technology classes to Hematology students from the University of Houston. One of her students brought Chuck along on a sailing trip on Theresa's Sunfish in Offatt's Bayou in Galveston. They were married a year later. Chuck's career as a petroleum engineer with Baroid, the drilling fluids company, took him to Peru. Theresa joined him in Peru, where they lived for three years, during which they explored sites in their adopted country, such as Cusco and Machu Picchu. Part of the adventure was travelling in their Volkswagen 'Bug' and on Peruvian trains and buses. Theresa and Chuck returned to the United States for the birth of their son, Trey, and made their home in Katy, Texas. The family moved to Venezuela for Chuck's work and eventually returned to Katy, their home base. At the same time, Chuck travelled to assignments in multiple locations in South America, as well as Lagos, Nigeria, and the North Sea.

Chuck loved the great outdoors, whether it was gardening, spelunking, hiking, boating, or waterskiing, including barefoot waterskiing. Camping was a family event, and there were countless trips with Theresa and Trey to Big Bend in West Texas. For forty years, Chuck took annual trips with his brother Roger to the mountains to fish for trout. He got his feathers ruffled when Theresa suggested taking a can of tuna fish, just in case! There were also numerous trips to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands with Theresa to snorkel.

Chuck loved barbecue, competing in barbecue cookoffs, and sampling along the way. If you ever travelled through Ellinger, Texas, he'd request you bring him a chopped beef sandwich from Peters' Barbecue. Sweets were another favorite, such as Blue Bell ice cream, pecan pie, and Theresa's French chocolate pie.

He was an enthusiastic Dallas Cowboys fan, a bridge player, and an avid puzzle worker, completing 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles at age 5. He enjoyed numerous feline pets--seven at one time--which made his son Trey exclaim, "Who do you think you are, Dr Doolittle?!?"

Chuck's choice of wardrobe could be described in one word…comfort. Whether hot or cold, rain or shine, he always wore shorts and most likely flip-flops, and this 'unique' behavior always drew attention and many times the recommendation to 'put some clothes on!' Tattered T-shirts were a staple in his wardrobe, and a teenager once asked to buy his faded, torn shirt, thinking it'd be 'cool,' but Chuck refused.

Chuck was very well-liked, had numerous friends, and a generous spirit. He was a hard worker, very conservative, strong as an ox, and stubborn as a mule.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Theresa, siblings Jeff Kitowski (Birgit), Roger Kitowski (Nan), Beth DiIorio (Patrick), Gail Kitowski (Scott, deceased), Becky Hartless (Kerry, deceased), and Mary Allison (Art, deceased), as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Trey, killed in action in Afghanistan in 2007; his parents, Zenia and Charles Kitowski; and his adoring sister, Vivian Powers (Steve, deceased).

Visitation will be on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 10:00 am at St Bartholomew the Apostle Catholic Church, 5356 11th St, Katy, Texas, followed by the rosary at 10:30 am, mass at 11:00 am, and burial at Magnolia Cemetery, 6801 Franz Rd, Katy, Texas.

For those interested in making a donation in Chuck's memory, the family asks that you consider St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network).

Serving as pallbearers are Jeff Kitowski, Roger Kitowski, Melvin Krezer, Louis Landry, Kevin Loper, Ben Martin, and Jon Prejon. Honorary pallbearers are Gene Martin and Joseph Simich.

Charles "Chuck" Kitowski Dies

I was just informed by Theresa Martin Kitowski (Class of 1959) that her husband, Chuck, passed away last night on New Year's Eve.  The funeral will be held on January 9, 2026, Theresa said.  I will post the obituary as soon as I receive it.  Keep Theresa in your thoughts and prayers at this sad time in her life.

Happy New Year 2026

 Happy New Year, Classmates!

If You Were Born Between 1930 - 1946

If you were born between 1930 and 1946, you belong to a group that is almost gone. Fewer than one out of every hundred from your time is still here. Today, you are in your late seventies, eighties, or nineties, carrying memories that no book or documentary can truly capture.

You entered the world when survival mattered. The Great Depression had stripped families down to the basics, and before the wounds could fully heal, the world was pulled into war. You learned early that nothing was free and nothing was wasted. Bread was stretched. Clothes were patched. Milk was measured. Your parents taught you that gratitude was not a feeling but a way of life.

You remember the milkman stopping at the house. You remember teachers who demanded respect and parents who backed them up. There was no room for excuses. You stood up straight, did what needed to be done, and learned the meaning of responsibility long before the word became fashionable.

No glowing screens were filling the room. Fun came from your own hands and your own mind. You played ball in the street, ran barefoot on hot pavement, and stayed outside until the lights flicked on. At night, families gathered near the radio not just for news but to feel connected. Voices from far away filled the room and brought everyone together.

Technology moved slowly then, and that was a gift. Phones were shared. If you wanted to talk, you waited for your turn. Math was done on paper with a pencil. Letters were typed or written by hand. The newspaper landed on the doorstep each morning and told you what mattered, not what shouted the loudest.

You came of age after war, during a stretch of hope that felt earned. There was no internet to distract or overwhelm. No endless alerts. Just the belief that if you worked hard, kept your word, and showed up every day, life would move forward.

You remember when black-and-white television felt like magic. When there were fewer highways, trips took longer. When downtown shopping meant greeting people by name. You remember the fear of polio and the relief when science finally pushed it back. Childhood was not easy, but it was real.

While your parents rebuilt the nation piece by piece, you watched cities rise, machines improve, and possibilities expand. You lived through changes that reshaped the country and set the stage for everything that followed.

If you are over 77 today, pause for a moment. You are living history. You carry lessons forged in hardship and hope, discipline and patience, community and resilience. The world you knew shaped the world we live in now.

You are one in a hundred.

And that is something worth honoring.

Merry Christmas Classmates!

Fabulous Fifties

Prayers for Jim and Kay Hess Simms

I spoke with Kay today in CA (it's also her 85th birthday) about Jim and his recovery.  He did have to have a pacemaker put in as well.  Kay has AFib going on. As we age, we all have health issues and need to pray for one another.  

Wishing Kay a very Happy 85th Birthday and many more to come.

Prayers for Jim Simms (Classmate Kay Hess Simms Husband)

Posted on Facebook by Libby Hess, Kay Hess Simms, sister.  

(Earlier) - Please say a prayer for my brother-in-law, Jim Simms, who is having a heart valve replacement right now.

(Libby) Thanks everyone, surgery was successful. He's awake and talking. A 4-hour surgery.

It means so much that you have all prayed, and I believe prayers saw him through. The doctor is the one who performed surgery on Barbara Bush, but I didn't remember her having surgery, maybe after they were out of the White House.