2/25/1942 – 2/10/2026
Lawrence
Charles Alan Seibel — Chuck to all who knew and loved him — passed away peacefully on February 10, 2026, just shy of his 84th birthday.
In keeping with his sweet nature, he left this world quietly and without any fuss at home in the woods north of Lawrence. The home he started building in the ’70s. (It was never really done, but ever-evolving with lovingly crafted updates.) The home he shared with his wife Judy for over three decades. The home where his kids grew up. His favorite place to be.
Chuck was quiet but had a strong and calm presence, a deep and curious mind, and a kind and sensitive spirit. The words he spoke were worth listening to — whether a thoughtful insight or witty remark delivered with a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Born on February 25, 1942 to Gwen and Martin Seibel, he grew up in Central Kansas and graduated from Hutchinson High before heading to the University of Kansas. There he earned degrees in Philosophy and French in 1965 and a master’s in applied Linguistics in 1981.
He devoted his career to the Applied English Center at KU, starting as an instructor in 1981 and serving as Director from 2001 until his (reluctant) retirement. He truly loved what he did — connecting with other cultures and helping international students reach their full potential through the power of language.
Of course he was a grammar expert, but he also appreciated the beauty of words — a philosophical book, the poetry of a certain song lyric, a story that captures the human spirit.
Often up with the sun, he worked hard at home taking loving care of the big family he so adored. Grocery shopping, packing lunches, delivering coffee in bed, helping with homework — all those little bits of domesticity that make a life. He was a steady source of love and comfort, and a powerful example of what it means to be a good person.
He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by his wife Judy, sisters Karen, Diane, and Shelly, children Ben, Jonah, Ella, Saida, Julia, and Katy, grandchildren Jeremiah, Jude, Mika, Lewis, Hazel, and Finn, great-grandson Kiko, extended family, and friends.
A celebration of life will be planned for the spring. To leave a message for Chuck’s family, please visit www.Rumsey-Yost.com.
Note: The Lawrence Times is offering Lawrence and Douglas County community members space to publish remembrances of loved ones who lived in this community, free of charge. These pieces are submitted by family and friends of the deceased and not written by our staff. Photos are also provided to the publication, and some may have been altered prior to submission. Read more obituaries here.
We are honored to be able to offer this service free to community members in mourning. We believe the last thing our neighbors need in those difficult moments is another financial matter to worry about. Please support the Times to help us continue providing this service — and news access — for all.
To submit an obituary to The Lawrence Times, please fill out the form at this link. We’re sorry, but we cannot accept obituary submissions via email or other means.
Receive obituaries via email
As of May 2026, we are launching a newsletter that will include obituaries only. Obituaries will no longer appear in our daily emails. You can sign up below to receive any and all of our emails. If you already receive our daily, weekly and/or occasional emails and you want to keep receiving them, please check those boxes as well.
Please make sure you click on the button that says “Yes, subscribe me to this list” in the email you receive or you will not receive future emails. That extra step is to protect you and make sure you’re not getting emails you don’t want.
