Charles Richard Lodes was born November 6, 1941 in Vinita, Oklahoma where he was baptized and raised. Charley was confirmed in 1953 and graduated from Sacred Heart Academy. He played junior college baseball at Connors before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Charley played for the Cub's minor league team the Morristown Cubs for less than a season before suffering a career ending injury. He enrolled at Phillips University, in Enid, Oklahoma, at 20 years old to complete his degree and start his coaching career. It was there that Charley met his wife of 49 years Shirley Stabe Lodes. Over the years, Charley and Shirley moved from Enid to Garber to Midwest City to Temple, Texas to Johnson City, Tennessee and back to Oklahoma in pursuit of Charley's baseball coaching career. Charley was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a teacher, a mentor and a dreamer. But his true calling and legacy is that of "Coach". His love of life and love of the game drove him to always reach higher and dream bigger than what many thought possible. In his five years at Temple Junior College, TJC was nationally ranked and won 163 games, losing only 89. He took over the East Tennessee State University baseball program in 1977, turning a "glorified intramural program into a NCAA regional fixture." In each of the five previous seasons, the Bucs hadn't won more than 7 games. Charley's first year at ETSU the team won 29 games, becoming the Ohio Valley Conference Champion. In his first four seasons, Charley took the team to three NCAA regionals. Charley left the Bucs after six years and 204 wins. Charley and Shirley returned home to Oklahoma in 1983 with Charley becoming the head baseball coach at Oklahoma City University. That first year the Chiefs were the Midwestern Cities Conference Champions and Charley was named NCAA District 5 Coach of the Year. Two years later OCU became a member of the NAIA and the Chiefs qualified for the NAIA College World Series. In 1987, Charley got his 500th collegiate win. The Chiefs went back to the NAIA College World Series in 1988 which was Charley's final year of coaching. After OCU, Charley never stopped mentoring his former players and just being "Coach" because to him every player was family. Charley continued his lifelong passion of working with kids and youth, teaching them the skills of baseball and a true understanding of the game. Charley passed away in his home on August 27, 2014, entering the Kingdom of Glory at age 72. Charley's family meant the world to him. He is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Shirley; son Lance and wife Laura of Oklahoma City and their two daughters who he adored and who adored him, Lily and Addison; daughter Lori and husband Matt of Washington, DC. Visitation will be at Mercer-Adams on Sunday from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm. Services will on Tuesday at 10:30 am at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Bethany, Oklahoma with entombment at Chapel Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the Lodes family asks that donations be made to the Lutheran Church of Our Savior or to Oklahoma City University Baseball in memory of Charles Lodes. Checks can be mailed to: OCU Baseball, 2501 N. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. Online Giving:https://www.formstack.com/forms/okcu-online_giving Funeral Service Tuesday, September 2, 2014 10:30 AM Lutheran Church of Our Savior 6501 N.W. 23rd St. Bethany, OK