Charles P. (Chas) Obermeier, age 80 of Waco, Texas, passed away peacefully at his home on February 2, 2026 after suffering a stroke in December of 2025.
Chas was born on October 31, 1945 in Minneapolis, Minn., to Clayton and Betty (Phelps) Obermeier. He was baptized in the Crocker Lutheran Church. The family lived in Rapid City and Crocker, S.D., before returning to Minneapolis, where Chas began kindergarten. They moved to Ralston, Neb., when he was seven, then to Norwalk, Iowa, and finally to Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated in 1963 from Valley High School, where he played football and basketball.
Chas and his siblings spent many happy childhood summers at their grandparents' farm south of Crocker, weeding trees, digging potatoes, shooting gophers and playing baseball.
After high school, Chas moved to the Phoenix area and worked various jobs. He also worked for a tree service company in Des Moines. He later attended Mankato State University in Minnesota, where he made the Dean's List with straight A's nearly every semester. He also worked at a department store, selling ladies' shoes, when not attending classes. While in college, Chas married Holy Winberg in 1966 (later divorced).
Chas graduated in 1969 and began his career as an investment banker with R. G. Dickinson in Des Moines. In 1974, Chas and his family moved to Naperville, Ill. He purchased a membership on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and built a successful career trading stock options. He was elected to the CBOE Board of Directors in 1980 and served through 1983. He also owned COR Trading, which he sold to Blair Hull in early 1990. After retiring from pit trading, he continued trading electronically before working as a desk manager for MOE Options, owned by Chess and Maureen Obermeier, at the Chicago Board of Trade in the early 2000s.
Chas and family returned to South Dakota many years in the fall for pheasant hunting.
Chas married Carla Obermeier in 1998. The couple moved from Naperville to the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago's south side in 1996 and then to Las Cruces, N.M. in 2012 following his retirement in December 2011. They moved to Waco in October of 2025.
An avid golfer, Chas was a member of Cress Creek Country Club in Chicago and Picacho Hills Country Club in Las Cruces. He achieved five holes-in-one, all during his retirement years in Las Cruces. Even after becoming ill with RSV in December 2023 and requiring supplemental oxygen, he maintained a workout routine each morning.
Chas and Carla enjoyed having family and friends visit them in Las Cruces and returned to the Midwest regularly to see relatives. He cherished time spent with family and friends.
Chas was preceded in death by his parents; his in-laws, Fritz and Marvine Obermeier; his brother, Bruce; his grandson, Grey Benson; his brother-in-law, Jake Obermeier; his sisters-in-law, Julie and Linda Obermeier; his godparents, Lillian and Einer Reppe; and his ex-wife, Holly Crowell.
He is survived by his wife, Carla; sons Brad and Scott (Becky) Obermeier and Gates Hough; daughter Colette (Tim) Auvenshine; grandchildren Nick, Emily, Matthew and Michael Obermeier and Gunner Benson; brothers Pete, Ron and Brian (Michele) Obermeier; sister Patty (Johnny) Neuman; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A celebration of life will be held on July 4 at the Crocker Lutheran Church at 2:00 p.m. Inurnment will follow at St. Thomas Cemetery. A luncheon will follow in the church basement. This will be a very casual affair. Feel free to wear golf shirts, t-shirts or shots. If you have any Iowa Hawkeye apparel, please wear it, as Chas was a big fan.
