JOPLIN, Mo. —
Chuck Surface survived the ferocious Joplin tornado by taking shelter in the basement of his Joplin home with his wife and granddaughter, but he succumbed Wednesday night to cancer.
Surface, 68, had a long battle with the illness but a much longer history of public service.
“He was most proud that he served the second longest running term” of any Missourian in the Legislature, said one of his close friends, state Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin. “He also was proud of being on the Missouri Southern State University Board of Regents because (the late) Sen. Dick Webster promised that to him years ago.”
Surface was elected to the Missouri House in 1984 and served 18 years until term limits forced him out in 2002. It was the second longest string of terms behind another former Southwest Missouri politician, Rep. Robert Ellis Young, of Carthage.
Richard and Surface had known each other since their days together at Joplin Junior College. Surface served in the Air Force from 1962 until 1966 and then returned to Joplin to go to Missouri Southern on the GI Bill, Richard said.
“He was one of the few graduates in 1969, along with Mike Storm, to be recruited to go to work for a Fortune 500 company, Ford Motor Co.,” Richard said. After a few years with Ford, he returned to Joplin, where he set up an insurance sales business.
Surface dived deep into community service then, volunteering with Special Olympics, coaching youth baseball and joining the Jaycees. He was elected to the Joplin City Council in April 1982 and served until November 1984, when he was elected to the Legislature.
There, he paid tribute to veterans by sponsoring legislation to provide them with property tax relief.
After his legislative service, he was elected presiding commissioner of Jasper County in 2003 and served until 2006. In 2007, he was named economic development director for Webb City.
“He wanted Webb City to become a part of the culture of Missouri,” said interim City Administrator Carl Francis. “He wanted to make sure Webb City was not left behind.
“He was out front working hard to promote our history, and promote our future too. He was always out there pushing Route 66, going to Jeff City to meet with people about what we have to offer.”
In 2011, Gov. Jay Nixon honored Webster’s pledge to Surface and named him to the MSSU Board of Governors.
“Missouri Southern was dear to Mr. Surface,” said Sherry Buchanan, board chairwoman, in a written statement released Thursday by the university. “We know that one of the things he wanted to do in his life was serve on the Missouri Southern Board of Governors. We are glad he was able to accomplish that goal.”
Surface received MSSU’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 1987.
Buchanan said Surface was always an eager advocate.
“When the legislation was enacted for personalized license plates in Missouri, Chuck quickly secured one of the very first numbers that mentioned MSSU,” she said. “He was very passionate for the university.”
Surface had a way of getting others on board with his cause, his colleagues said.
“He was very well-known for his knack at getting things done by always carrying a box of doughnuts to meetings,” Francis said.
Francis credited Surface with the creation of the Route 66 Center, home to the Webb City Chamber of Commerce. He called it Surface’s “baby.”
“We will continue with a lot of his projects,” Francis said. “His name will be around for many years to come.”
Surface, who formerly lived in Webb City, was an avid supporter of Webb City and Missouri Southern athletics, Richard said. “He was a good baseball player” when he was younger, he said. “He was an avid reader, a voracious reader. His biggest love was his family.”
Surface is survived by his wife and three children.
Funeral home
ARRANGEMENTS are being handled by Hedge-Lewis Funeral Home in Webb City.
Local News
Chuck Surface, former state legislator, dies at 68
- Local News
-
-
Jasper County to start enforcing newly adopted nuisance ordinance
Jasper County has received 15 complaints based on a new nuisance ordinance adopted earlier this spring, members of the County Commission said Tuesday. John Bartosh, presiding commissioner, said he and the other commissioners reviewed the complaints during a meeting last week with workers at the Jasper County Health Department.
-
Neosho School Board votes to boost custodians’ salaries
Action taken Monday night by the Neosho Board of Education on salaries was designed partly to retain custodians. The measure approved by the board gives custodians, with a starting salary of $8.77 an hour, a 10 percent raise.
-
Mike Pound: Carthage holding parties for a good cause
When my wife told me that we were going to host a party, I had only one question: Why? My wife might be the party-hosting sort of person, but I am not. She said this party was for a good cause. She also told me that our friends Lana and Bill, Lee Ann and Rob, and Amy and Jimmy were going to help host it.
-
Proposal would reduce 20th Street to two lanes
A design proposal that would convert much of 20th Street into two lanes instead of four from Main Street to Campbell Parkway to make room for streetscape and green features did not draw much public support on Tuesday.
-
Local runners show support for Boston in cross-country relay
After completing the Boston Marathon on April 15, Ashleigh Beyersdorfer made her way through the throngs of runners to retrieve the bag she had checked in and was on her way to meet up with her family when she heard the explosions.
-
MSSU board to complete terms of president’s departure
The Board of Governors of Missouri Southern State University will meet Wednesday to complete the terms of the agreement that terminated President Bruce Speck’s contract, board Chairwoman Sherry Buchanan said.
-
State’s key witness testifies in murder trial
The fate of Dustin Boggs may ultimately depend on the credibility of Arturo Council. If jurors believe Council, then Boggs, 25, could be convicted of first-degree murder in the 2012 stabbing and shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Danyel Borden, 21, at his trial this week in Ottawa County District Court.
-
Swimmers attempt to set world record
Even before the instructor had finished giving his direction to the class of young swimmers, 4-year-old Alexa DeBerry had dunked herself underwater and had come up giggling.
-
Missouri moves to lift ban on foreign farm owners
Weeks before a Chinese conglomerate agreed to buy Smithfield Foods Inc. in the largest such takeover of a U.S. business, Missouri lawmakers quietly approved legislation removing a ban on foreign ownership of agricultural land.
-
Neosho Board of Education approves 10 percent raise in effort to keep custodians
School custodians are receiving the biggest percentage raise among salaries approved Monday by the Neosho Board of Education.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Jasper County to start enforcing newly adopted nuisance ordinance
