No Services are planned at this time for Charles Craig Yockey, M.D., 79, Lawrence. He died October 20, 2025, at LMH Health and is now with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
His wife Nancy of 54 years and their son Joe were at the bedside when he died.
After multiple assignments in the Air Force he and his family moved to Lawrence in 1986. After working 10 years at Watkins Student Health, he started the Hospitalist program at LMH Health with his good friend Dr. David Goering. He later started the LMH Pulmonary Service. He loved practicing medicine and considered his patients as friends needing care or advice.
He requested no long obituary and no services. He also requested memorial contributions to be sent to Lawrence Heights Christian Church or LMH Endowment Help and Healing fund in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260 Lawrence, Kansas 66044.
Dr. Yockey helped my former husband, then 29, through the aftermath of a massive heart attack. His calm, cheerful and matter-of-fact bedside manner were a blessing to us both during a very hard time. Condolences to his family and friends.
I had the marvelous pleasure to have worked with Dr. Yockey when he was Chief of Staff at the KU Student Health Center. Later, he saved my husband’s life after a heart attack. My husband, Jim, worked as an LMH volunteer and very much enjoyed a friendship with Dr. Yockey. Deeply missed but know he is rejoicing with Jesus!🙌🏻
Dr. Yockey saved my life! He recognized my cancer issues were too significant and transferred me to KU Oncology. I am deeply grateful for his kindness and care.
A significant loss to his patients and the community of Lawrence. Recall him taking time to look at few chest x-rays while passing through the imaging department, sharing his expertise and providing a 5 minute assessment for patient’s, technologists and physicians. Dr Yockey worked tirelessly to improve the health of LMH patients and patients in the community. Thank-You for your service!
Peace and prayers for you and your family.
So sorry for the loss of Dr.Charles Yockey sending condolences, thoughts and prayers he was a great and wonderful doctor. He will be missed dearly.
I am so sorry to hear of Charlie Yockey’s passing. I met Charlie briefly in Spokane, Washington in 1964 when Charlie was a ROTC cadet and I was a young USAF Lieutenant. Charlie checked out my B-58 Hustler cockpit as we briefly discussed our mutual Kansas heritage. I next saw Charlie in 1986 when he became our Medical Chief of Staff at the Student Health Service at K.U. Charlie was very personable and I soon learned that his serious countenance belied a very quick wit and wry humor. It was my pleasure to work with Charlie for four years prior to my departure from K.U. He was an excellent Medical Chief of Staff and leader. To me, he was a true and supportive friend. My sincere condolence to Charlie’s family. He will be sadly missed by so many.
I am so sorry to hear of Dr Yockey’s passing. He was so important to my family for many years! Too many times we were faced with life altering circumstances but when Dr Yockey literally appeared, many times unexpectedly, we knew we had hope! We are forever grateful for him, the kind of doctor he was and the kind of man he was! Our sincere condolences to the family! RIP Dr Yockey. 🙏
I’m so sorry for your loss. The Lawrence community has lost a good one. My grandfather was a stubborn old marine and didn’t listen to many doctors. However, Dr. Yockey held a special place in his heart. He definitely saved my grandfather and I will always be grateful for him. Just know he’s made a big impact on patients and their families. Rest easy.
Dr Yockey stood tall amongst doctors,families and staff. An admirable man with a heart.
Dr. Yockey was my husband’s pulmonologist, and we both looked forward to seeing him at every visit. We enjoyed his good humor and kindness, as well as his expertise and sound judgment. Thanks to him and his staff for the good care my husband received.
I had the honor and privilege of working with Dr. Yockey during his entire time at LMH. His ability to connect with patients and help them (and their families) during the most difficult moments in their lives was exemplary. His interactions with all LMH associates were always genuine, caring, professional, and sometimes comical. I learned so much from him and will miss his ongoing support and wisdom as well as friendship. His dedication and commitment was foundational to LMH. To Nancy and Joe (and the rest of the family)- my heartfelt condolences. Sincerely, Sheryle
From the day I met you in 1981, I knew that God had great plans for your life… and He has, as evidenced by the thousands you have helped and healed. What a guy! What a Family! God bless you.
I was deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Charles Yockey’s passing. It was an honor and a privilege to work alongside him as his nurse. Dr. Yockey was not only a skilled and compassionate physician, but also a kind and steady presence to his patients and colleagues alike. His dedication to his work and his genuine care for others left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
My thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. His legacy of compassion and excellence in medicine will continue to inspire all of us who had the joy of working with him.
Dr Yockey saved my life in 2016 and for that I was eternally grateful. From that time he remained my Dr but even more my friend. He would sit knee to knee to discuss your health your do’s and don’t’s and stop that’s. Always enjoyed sharing a joke with each other. This is such a loss to me and all who knew. Him. What a wonderful person and Dr he was. My thoughts and prayers to all his family.
Charles spent 4 weeks with us in his fourth year of Medical School as a preceptee under my father Dr. Delbert V. Preheim in Newton KS. Our family found him to be a delightful individual, and I as a young teen was thrilled that he would spend time playing pool with me. Rest in Peace Charles. Condolences Nancy & Joe.
I am so very grateful that Dr. Yockey was my great friend and mentor (I am a respiratory therapist) for so many years. I will always value his friendship and will miss him. My thoughts are with Nancy, Joe and family.
His desire to apply his knowledge in a manner that took into account the uniqueness of every patient was part of what made him the best of practitioners. I will always remember his kindness and patience and am grateful to have been the recipient of his care. He truly made my life better for having known him.
My prayers are with Dr. Yockey’s family. He was the best pulmonary doctor that I have ever had, he took care of me and had every thing under control. I used to winter in Florida and he called me while I down there to be sure everything was OK after making a change just before I left town. He was a good friend and was more like a brother than a doctor.
Dr. Yockey was my dad’s doctor for many years. His kindness and quality of care were wonderful. Dad trusted and liked Dr. Yockey very much. We will always be grateful for all he did for our loved one.
Dr. Yockey had a tremendous impact on my life when I had lung complications from chemo over 10 years ago. It was a dark time but he was a such a light that I actually looked forward to my visits with him. I’ll never forget him. My sincerest condolences to his loved ones and every life he touched.
He was a sweet wonderful Dr. my heart breaks for you.
I believe Dr. Yockey treated my father while he served at Travis AFB in California. My father credited him with finally diagnosing his problem after weeks in the hospital with such severe pain he wanted to die. Dr. Yockey’s persistence and care saved my father’s life.
I will forever will be grateful for Dr. Yockey and his wisdom, care, and his amazing bedside manner, as he and his team saved my father’s life after a diagnosis of ARDS, among a host of other things. He never made my mother or I feel as though we were a burden of his time asking complicated, mundane or repetitive questions. He was extremely patient and understanding with the our entire family as he described medical procedures, and we compared them to farming & veterinary techniques (our whole world), and even when he was describing a multimillion dollar hospital bed, the “Roto Prone,” and our family’s dark humor called it a Rotisserie. He was brilliant physician who made us feel at ease, and whom we will forever remember and be indebt to for saving our KC. May he enjoy his rest in Heaven. The Wempe Family sends our love and prayers to all who knew and loved him.
Thoughts and prayers to Dr. Yockey’s family during this time. I worked with Dr. Yockey for several years at LMH out on the units. He was a kind and caring man! He once diagnosed me with pneumonia just by listening to mu lungs, even though it didn’t show on x-ray. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace Dr. Yockey.
Dr. Yockey’s death notice is not the way I wanted to start the day. It puts a somber feeling to the rest of the day and the future. Dr. Yockey was truly a great person, willing to share his wisdom and insight with all. And his knowledge was abundant. It was always a joy to speak with him and seek his guidance because I knew it was going to be spot-on. He always went the extra mile for the betterment of health in Lawrence and he will be missed by many.
Nancy amd Joe I am so sorry for your loss. Charlie was a great friend will be missed. Thaoughts and prayers for the family.
Just like our friend and colleague to compose his own obituary. But Charlie you left out a few things. Yes you started the hospitalist service at LMH an and it transformed care for patients, allowed referring physicians to be more efficient by having the hospital based physicians deliver quality care and working closely with you at discharge. But beyond that, Charlie was relied on to always be there with an opinion or a suggestion to make health care in Lawrence even better. His legacy will live on. Miss you our friend, Peace to Nancy and family.
Great brother in law and great husband to my sister but most of all a really nice and caring guy
So sorry to hear this! He was a great Dr and neighbor! Thoughts and prayers to his family!
So sad to hear this. He was the best lung doctor for my husband. My prayers goes out to the Yockey family.