Charles Richard Neely

Rev. Charles R. Neely went home to be with the Lord on November 24th, 2019. Funeral services for him will be held on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, at 11:00 AM at Allen & Allen Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow in Laurel Hill Cemetery. Rev. Neely passed away on November 24th, 2019 in Thomasville. Born on March 10, 1936, in Ft. Benning, he was the son of the late Col. Clarence Neely and the late Myrtice Crosby Neely. From 1954-1955, he attended the US Army Prep School. From 1955-1960, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he received his B.S. in Military Engineering. After his time at West Point, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the United States Army. In December 1964, he resigned with the rank of Captain from the Army. Rev. Neely was licensed to preach on April 23rd, 1961 by Calvary Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC, and he was ordained to the ministry on October 24th, 1965 by Oak Level Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, NC. In June 1968, he received his Master of Divinity Degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev. Neely served as the pastor of Oak Level Baptist Church for 3 years, Pavo Baptist Church for 2 years, Little Ochlocknee Baptist Church for 10 years, Friendship Baptist Church for 10 years. He served as the Interim/Long Term Supply at 6 churches including, Friendship Baptist of Barney, Reno Baptist Church of Reno, Union Springs Baptist Church of Whigham, Fredonia Baptist, Merrillville Baptist, and Big Creek Baptist. He served as a chaplain for Middle South Georgia Soil & Water Conservation District for 10 years, and he was named Thomas County Soil Conservationist of the year in 1991. For 25 years, he worked for the State of Georgia as a Rehabilitation Counselor and later as Human Service Provider (Social Worker) with Southwestern State Hospital. In 1974, he received M. Ed in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Georgia. Mr. Neely is survived by his wife of 59 years, Jeanne Neely; children, Kathy Dale (Steve) of Valdosta, and Calvin Neely (Robbie) of LaGrange and a sister Joyce Christensen, sister-in-law, Iris Warren of Huntsville; brother-in-law, Tommy Barrow of Coolidge; 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions can be made to the Gideon’s International at https://www.gideons.org/donate or Big Creek Cemetery Fund at 20048 US 319 North, Coolidge, GA, 31738. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 on Monday at Allen & Allen. Friends and family are invited to visit his online memorial tribute page at www.allenfh.com .