Charles (Chuck) Raymond Stein, 86, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 29, 2025. He was born in Ashland, KS on December 1, 1938, to Benedict A. & Fredeline F. (LaBarge) Stein.
He moved with his family to Minneapolis in 1940. He graduated from Minneapolis High School in 1956. After graduation, he joined the United States Navy, serving 27 months overseas. After returning home, he went back to his high school job washing cars for Handy Motor Company. He was promoted to a car salesman on April 1, 1960.
He was united in marriage to Radonna Pitts on July 8, 1961. In 1964, he took a job with Kansas Truck Equipment as a traveling salesman until August 1965. At that time, he purchased 50% of Handy Motor Company making him the youngest General Motors dealer in the country that was not in a family-owned dealership. He managed Handy-Stein Chevrolet-Olds-Buick from 1965 to 1970, purchasing the remaining 50% of the dealership in 1970. He managed Chuck Stein Chevrolet, Oldsmobile & Buick, Inc. until 1985 when he sold the dealership & “semi” retired.
During his time in Minneapolis, he served on the City Council, served as Mayor as well as being Vice President of the Kansas Motor Car Dealerships Association and numerous other positions with various new car organizations.
They moved to Salina, KS, in 1983 and spent several years owning & managing Hertz Rent-A-Car locations across the state. He & Radonna also owned & managed C & R Monogramming where Radonna sewed & he sold her finished products. Chuck returned to his true love of selling cars in 1995. He sold for Holm Automotive from 1995 to 2001, returned to Minneapolis to manage Bennett Auto Plex until 2009, when he returned to Holm Automotive selling cars until right before his death.
Chuck not only loved his family well, but he loved his many customers. He loved everything about cars, from selling them, to owning them & admiring them from afar. He also loved the University of Kansas & the Kansas Jayhawks where he donated a car to the athletic department for 55 years.
Chuck was preceded in death by his parents; brother James B. Stein (Patricia); in-laws, Herschel & Ethel Pitts; Gwen Pitts, Dick Pitts (Judy), Jerry Pitts; & great granddaughter, Reagan Blake Carbajo.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Radonna; children, Elizabeth (Beth) Kindall (Brent) of Minneapolis, KS, Julie Reed (Kevin) of Wichita, KS, and David Stein (Robin) of Overland Park, KS; grandchildren, Caleb Kindall, Abilene, KS, Abby Sills (Tre), Loveland, CO, Kendall Reed (Ashton), Dallas, TX, Maddie Schuchardt (Carter), Fayetteville, AR, Paige Carbajo (Andy), Overland Park, KS, Kaitlin Stein (soon to be Christian), all over the country & Grace Fischer (Matt), Overland Park, KS; and great grandchildren: Scottie Joy Fischer & Eden Jane Sills with the first boy to arrive soon!
The family will receive friends from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., Friday, June 6 at Wilson Family Funeral Home, 405 Argyle Ave., Minneapolis, KS 67467. Graveside services will be at 9:00 A.M., Saturday, June 7 at Highland Cemetery, Minneapolis.
Memorial services will be at 11:00 A.M., at the Salina First Church of the Nazarene, 1425 S. Ohio, Salina, KS 67401. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salina First Church of the Nazarene and be left in care of the funeral home.