Chuck Rager, 82, was born on August 9, 1943, to Charles and Louise (Boyer) Rager in Hollister, California (where his father was stationed during WWII).  He passed away peacefully at his home in Seward, Nebraska on January 18, 2026.  Chuck had chosen to be on Tabitha Hospice for the last 8 months of his life.

Chuck grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, graduating from Aliquippa High School in 1961.  That same year, on his 18th birthday, he married Alfreda Grossi with whom he had four children: Dawn, Eric, Aaron, and Christina. Chuck and Alfreda lived with her parents while he attended Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and worked two part-time jobs -- grocery clerk and railroad brakeman/fireman.  He graduated in 1965 with a BS degree in business and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where he was employed by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as a sales engineer.  Three years later, the family moved to Rochester, New York where he was sales representatives for the Eastman Kodak Company.

Following his divorce in 1981, Chuck moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he worked for Microsciences and Mobile Microfilming companies.   He then relocated to Newark, Delaware.

In Newark, Chuck met Paula Blomenberg -- who was destined to become his soul mate.    Chuck and Paula were married July 14, 1990, in the home of their friends, Jack and Drew Cassidy.

Chuck decided to explore other career options and enrolled in counseling and education graduate courses at the University of Delaware.  When Paula's banking position was transferred to New York City, they relocated to Stamford, Connecticut.  Chuck immediately enrolled in the graduate counseling program at the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut.  Concurrently, he worked at Hall-Brook Hospital (West Port, Connecticut) counseling schizophrenic clients.  He graduated with a master's degree in counseling in 1998.

Paula's job was then transferred to Tampa, Florida.   Once settled in, Chuck completed additional courses required for Florida licensure at the University of South Florida.  He passed the State of Florida exam in 2004.  He then provided counseling services at Northside Mental Health, Camelot, and other agencies specializing in 'at risk' foster children, juvenile adolescents, and their families.  Chuck also conducted private counseling until 2011 when he retired at age 68.

Chuck had frequently reminisced about his artistic endeavors when he was in high school.  On November 1, 2011, he enrolled in an art course at Hillsborough County Community College in Tampa.  Saturday mornings Chuck joined a group of talented artists receiving instruction from the renowned artist, Joe Testasecca.   Four years later, in 2015, another artist in the class encouraged Chuck to enter a painting in the Strawberry Art Festival near Tampa.  Chuck's canvas (View from Big Yellow) won Best of Show!  At this point, Joe Testasecca stated, "Chuck, you should have been doing art your whole life!"

Chuck and Paula relocated to Seward, Nebraska in 2017 to be closer to her family.  Here, Chuck continued his painting endeavors, completing 61 paintings during his last 14 years of life.  His paintings, primarily landscapes of places he and Paula had visited over the years, were gifted to appreciative family and friends.

Chuck was a grateful member of Alcoholics Anonymous for over 45 years.  In the last couple years of his life, a 'Group Of Dudes' (GOD) brought a meeting to Chuck's home on Tuesday mornings.   Their support contributed to the quality of his final months and days.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents; his brother (Rick); his sister (Janie), and a son (Aaron).

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Paula Blomenberg (Seward); his children- Eric Rager (Castleton, New York),  Dr. Dawn Rager and her husband, Dr. Don Warren (Rochester, New York), and Dr. Christina Rager (Rochester, New York); and a 'host' of Blomenberg in-laws (Sandy, John/Susan, Janeen, Rhoda/Dom, Daniel/Deanna, Andrea/Drew).