Max Dale Chalupa, 88, of Scottsbluff, went to be with the Lord in Heaven on January 14, 2021. Max was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska on November 25, 1932, to Ferdinand Chalupa and Mabel (Failor) Chalupa. Max was the oldest of 3 children which included Lee and Joyce Chalupa.
Max grew up farming and ranching in Wyoming and Nebraska where his parents had homesteaded after coming to the area on a wagon train. He graduated high school from Lyman, Nebraska, and married Dorothy Lehr. Max joined the Air Force in 1952. After serving his country, he came back to the area to farm and ranch with his father.
In 1970, he moved to Torrington, Wyoming, and began to drive trucks over-the-road. Max spent most of his life as a truck driver. He moved to different towns between Wyoming and Nebraska, and finally settled in Scottsbluff where he has lived for the last 27 years.
Max and Dorothy had 4 children; Michael (Anita) Chalupa of Bridgeport, NE, David Chalupa of Gering, NE, Christopher Chalupa (deceased), and Marcia (Robert) Morgan of Live Oak, CA. There are 8 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Dorothy passed away on November 29, 1991.
Max married Mary Focken on April 4, 1994. He was blessed to expand his family with Mary’s eight children; Greg, Jim, Sandy, Jodi, Fred, Audrey, Valerie, Melanie, as well as their spouses, 29 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren. Max’s extended family enriched his life abundantly and he enjoyed all the grandchildren greatly.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, his first wife (Dorothy Lehr), his son (Christopher Chalupa), and his grandson (Dale Chalupa).
Max was a deacon at the Gering Baptist Church for many years during the ’70s and ’80s. He spent his Sunday mornings in church and often attended Bible studies during the week. Monument Bible Church has been his church home for over 20 years.
Max lived a full life doing the things he loved; hunting, fishing, and telling tall tales about his adventures to his buddies over coffee in the mornings. He liked his coffee with cream and sugar, but don’t give him any of the Starbucks stuff, his favorite was Folgers and Arby’s.
A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 23, 2021 at Monument Bible Church, 4124 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE. For those not able to attend, the service will be live-streamed at the same time at http://www.facebook.com/monumentlivestreams. Online condolences may be made by visiting Max’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com.
