Eugene "Gene" Creel

Eugene "Gene" Creel, 75, a devoted servant of the Lord, passed peacefully into eternal rest on the afternoon of February 9, 2026, at his home in Plant City, Florida.

He was a man of deep conviction, joyful faith, and generous spirit. Outgoing and warm, Gene never met a stranger and had a natural way of drawing people in. His faith guided him through every season of life, and he joyfully bore witness to the grace of Jesus Christ in both word and deed.

Gene was a loving husband, father, grandfather, Army veteran, and proud owner of Creel Air Conditioning Inc. A fisherman at heart, he found peace and happiness on the water, often accompanied by laughter, stories, and one of his many well-timed jokes. Known as a jokester, Gene loved to make others laugh and feel welcome. His generosity showed in the way he freely gave his things, time, and love to those around him.

Above all, Gene was a loving dad and a man passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus.

We take comfort in the sure knowledge that he is now absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Gene is survived by his loving wife, Carolyn Creel; his loving daughter, Jaime Creel Swartz, son-in-law, Wyatt Swartz; his cherished granddaughter, Saylor Lyn Swartz; his loving son, Colin Eugene Creel; his beloved grandson, Brayden Christopher Creel; sister Judy Creel Lee of Jacksonville Florida; sister Bonnie Creel Galloway of Albany Ga; bonus grandchildren MacKenzie, Morgan, Moises, Emersen, Avery, Garrett, and Treyce; and bonus great grandchildren Liam and Asher.

A service will be held to honor Gene's life on Friday, 2/13 at 11 am at the Little Chapel at Serenity Gardens at 3350 Mall Hill Dr. (located in Serenity Gardens Cemetery), in Lakeland and graveside at Sardis cemetery in Folkston, GA at 10 am, Saturday, 2/21 to celebrate his homegoing, with family and close friends gathering to give thanks for the gift he was to all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Help Ministries, https://hm.org/product/donation/, to give Bibles around the world and spread the Gospel he so dearly loved.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." - Psalm 116:15

Well done, good and faithful servant.