KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Twenty-four days after a Kansas City father and son disappeared at an Arkansas lake, their bodies were recovered. Now their family is left planning a funeral. 

Even though this felt like an inevitable conclusion, the family of Chuck and Charley Morris are hurt and devastated. It was still painful to hear their bodies were found Sunday.  

“It was sort of a relief around it that the tragic phone calls could stop now,” said Jenny Thompson, Chuck’s wife and Charley’s mother.

The two were on vacation with their family in March when they went out kayaking. They were attempting to get ahead of incoming storms that would keep them from getting on the water later.

Those storms proved to be the difference.

“It was destabilizing and overwhelming, and yet I’ve known they were gone so it was another level of acceptance, Thompson said.

But it’s who Chuck and Charley were that will always be top of mind for the many people they impacted. Thompson described her son Charley as a child with an essence that was beyond beautiful.

“Charley, we would gang up on my parents together. We had finally reached that — we finally got to that point when he was at college, I could text him,” said Amelia Morris, Chuck’s daughter and Charley’s sister.

Chuck Morris was a musician at heart, a man his wife said was filled with kindness that poured out a spirit of love. He had the ability to connect with humans so well, Thompson said it can’t be duplicated.

“Unstable Unicorns – Amelia and her dad had a love of playing games, especially card games. They would laugh and fight and win and lose, and it was so beautiful because Chuck was an exceptional father,” Thompson said.

She said both Chuck and Charley are etched in their hearts forever.

“I believe that we are all loved, and I cannot understand why this needed to happen. But I trust in a goodness. I loved them desperately,” Thompson said.  

Jenny and Amelia plan to go to Ohio where there will be a celebration of Charley’s life at his college. The family will then have a joint celebration of life for both on April 20 in Denver. 

If you want to help the family, a GoFundMe has been set up.