Men's Basketball | 5/13/2026 3:45:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Chuck Barnes' history with Wichita State basketball goes back decades. As a Wichitan, he holds local athletes who played for the Shockers in special regard.
 
One of those former Shockers is Karl Papke, an All-State player at Wichita West High School who played for Wichita State from 1980-85. Chuck and older brother Larry attended West and watched him play for the Shockers.
 

That history and Larry's passion for genealogy came together last fall when he discovered Papke, who passed away in 1992 at 30, was cremated and buried without a headstone in Wichita Park Cemetery near his father.
 
Neither brother could stomach the idea of Papke's gravesite unmarked.
 
"This is not right," Chuck Barnes said, recalling his reaction to his brother's research. "Karl was a good guy and a Shocker and a high school star. I've got to try to do something about this."

Chuck made phone calls and connected with former teammates and others in Wichita who knew Karl. With their help, fund raising took about four hours to raise money for the headstone. Those who donated, Chuck said, prefer to remain anonymous.

On Saturday, friends and family gathered at the gravesite.

"Chuck and his brother designed it, and I thought it was beautiful," said Karen Papke, Karl's older sister said. "It was great hearing stories about his life and basketball."
 

The headstone features a picture of Papke dunking against Bradley, WuShock and a description of his basketball honors. The words, "Love Ya Bro," were requested by his sister. Karl always included that sentence in letters.
 
"(Karl) was a very thoughtful, kind individual," Karen said. "He loved being a dad (Papke has three daughters). He was very loving and affectionate."
 
Papke, a 6-foot-6 forward, played on Wichita State's NCAA Tournament teams in 1981 and 1985. One of his most memorable moments came when his hook shot with 10 seconds to play gave the Shockers a 66-64 win over No. 11 Tulsa in 1984. In 1985, he scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in WSU's 84-82 at Tulsa in the MVC Tournament championship.
 
His teammates on some of the most exciting teams in Shocker history included Antoine Carr, Cliff Levingston, Aubrey Sherrod and Xavier McDaniel.
 
"I grew up in a family of huge Shocker fans," Chuck Barnes said. "Karl was a pretty darn key player for Wichita State. Nobody should be buried in an unmarked grave."
 
Chuck Barnes heard stories from Gene Barnes, his father, about Cleo Littleton playing at the Forum in the 1950's. He traveled to St. Louis often for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Recent Shockers such as Ron Baker and Evan Wessel are among his favorites.
 
"So many great players," he said. "I can tell you about different plays and highlights. I've seen Antoine Carr play basketball since the ninth grade."
 
Larry Barnes enjoys the connections with the past that he dives into with his hobby. He uses websites to research people and cemeteries.
 
"I'm fascinated by the stories," he said. "With a marker on your grave, you're remembered."
 
Those Shocker memories remain important to teammates, friends and family of Karl Papke, with an assist to the Barnes brothers.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.