Charles W. Hubbard

Charles William Hubbard died on Oct. 25 at the age of 90. He was born on Sept. 23, 1928 on a farm near Pretty Prairie, Kan. He was the youngest child of George Lewis Hubbard, Sr. and Edna Rae Carper Hubbard.

Charles attended the Goddard Public Schools, Goddard, Kan. In high school he excelled in sports, especially basketball and track. It was there that he also met his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Rebah Joanne Cross. Following graduation, Charles enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday and served with the U.S. Occupation Forces in Japan. He continued his military career, serving in the U.S. Army Reserves, and also on the local Selective Service board, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Charles and Rebah were married on Aug. 5, 1949. After graduating in 1951 from Friends University, Wichita, Kan. Charles entered the business world and also farmed the Cross family land. In 1953, he started his career in education as a middle school math teacher and boys’ basketball coach in the Derby Public Schools, Derby, Kan. After receiving a Master’s Degree in 1959, he became the principal at Swaney Elementary, Derby, Kan. and later a principal at Andover Elementary in Andover, Kan. He returned to the Derby Public School System as the Assistant Superintendent - Business Manager. He was promoted to Superintendent of the Derby Public Schools, the position in which he retired from in 1989. He later was called out of retirement by the Kansas Department of Education, to be the interim Superintendent in Garden City, Kan. His tenue there was extended for two years.

Charlie, as this friends knew him by, devoted this life to education in all aspects. He invested in the lives of countless students and served as an encouraging mentor to other educators. He was also devoted to many civic organizations benefiting the City of Derby, including the Lions Club, Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, the Derby Foundation and the Derby Historical Museum Society.

He was honored with the naming of the CHEL – The Charles Hubbard Environmental Lab, an undisturbed, outside learning environment that surrounded a part of the Derby Creek. This is a site for teachers to take their students of any grand for a local field trip to study environmental science, biology, botany, even creative writing or art.

Through the hard work of Charles and others he got the Derby Grade School designated as a Kansas Historical Site. He worked with the Derby Historical Society and the Derby Public Schools to save an adjoining building from destruction. This building is now being used in conjunction with the nearby Derby Recreation Center. This newly remodeled site is named “The Hubbard Arts Center” in honor of Charles’ lifelong work in the community helping children.

In retirement, he and his wife bought a cabin in Green Mountain Falls, Colo. which they enjoyed as a summer gathering place for family and friends. In 1998, Charles and Rebah began spending November through March in Fountain Hills, the home of their daughter and grandson. While living there he enjoyed his morning walk around the lake and spent his days active in the Fountain Hills Rotary Club, the Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church and serving on his local HOA board. He loved this condo, as it directly overlooked the Fountain and the Fountain Park. The unobstructed views brought him joy, pleasure and peace.

Charles was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Rebah Joanne Cross Hubbard. He is survived by his daughters, Marilyn (Bruce) McSpadden of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Barbara Sudderth of Fountain Hills and Beverly (Craig) Claflin of Edina, Minn.; five grandchildren, Bret McSpadden of Boulder, Colo., Ben (Katey) McSpadden of Roeland Park, Kan., Scott Sudderth of Dubuque, Iowa, Carah (Michael) Hart of Edina, Minn., Chase Claflin of Minneapolis, Minn., and two great-grandchildren, Eloise and Charlie Hart.

Viewing will be held at Smith Mortuary, Derby, Kan. on Thursday, Nov. 1 from 1 to 8 p.m. The Celebration of Life Service will be at the First Presbyterian Church, Derby, Kan., Friday, Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. The family would like to invite members of the community to a Visitation lunch following the service in honor of both Charles and Rebah Hubbard. The burial, with military honors, will be in Resthaven Memorial Gardens, Wichita, Kan. at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial gifts to The Derby Historical Museum Society, 208 N. Westview, Derby, KS 67037 or to the NC Little Memorial Hospice, 7019 Lynmar Lane, Edina, MN 55435.