John Charles "Charlie" Reep

John Charles “Charlie” Reep, passed away Thursday July 31, 2025, after complications following heart surgery in March. Charlie fought a long hard battle to recover, but God chose to heal him by calling him home to Heaven.

Son of the late John Albert and Ruth Elizabeth Brown Reep, Charlie was born in Gastonia NC May 27, 1952. His family moved to Rowan County when Charlie was around 2 years old. He grew up in Granite Quarry where he attended Dunn's Mountain Baptist Church and graduated from East Rowan High School in 1970. In 1974, Charlie graduated from Gardner-Webb University. He received a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky in 1978. He married his wife Darlean Lawing on August 15, 1982 and moved to Lincolnton NC where they made their home.

Charlie was an active member of Calvary Baptist Church serving for many years as a Sunday School teacher, a member of the choir and a Deacon. For the last few years of Charlie's life, he served in the nursing home ministry and was a member of Golden Voices, a ministry of Boger City Baptist Church. For many years, Charlie took great pleasure performing in many community theater plays in Lincolnton, Gastonia, Cherryville, Shelby and Newton.

Most of all, Charlie loved his Lord and Savior and enjoyed serving Him any way he could. He would want you to know, more than anything, God loves You and sent His Son Jesus to die for You. (John 3:16)

In addition to his parents, Charlie was preceded in death by his sister Brenda Reep Stanley; Brother-in-laws Jack Stanley and Wayne Rickard; Mother and Father-in-laws Bill and Hazel Lawing; Aunts Gertrude Medley, Louise Watkins; uncles Jack Brown and Andy Brown; and a cousin David Watkins.

Left to cherish Charlie's memory is his wife of nearly 43 years Darlean Lawing Reep; his sister Susan Rickard; sister-in-law Billie Lawing Dekle (Evan) of Keene NH; nephews and nieces Jacob Lester (Emily) of Keene NH, Bonnie Stanley Jarman, Lisa Stanley and KS Stanley all of Texas; great nieces and nephews Amanda Jarman Austin, Josh Jarman, Elissa Boar and PJ Boar and their families all of Texas; cousins Ann Medley, June Freeze (Ronny), Sheree Rhyne, Lynn Hovis (Stan) and their families; Darlean's extended family; special childhood friends Rev. Jim McCoy, Don Ellium, Mike Boyd and Dean Boyd known as The Dunn's Mountain Jackals; as well as many other friends that have been like family through the years (you know who you are).

The family will receive friends from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at Warlick Funeral Home, 125 Dave Warlick Drive, Lincolnton, NC. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, August 11, 2025, at Calvary Baptist Church, 493 Calvary Church Road, Lincolnton, NC, with Reverend Bruce Brooks, Reverend Jim McCoy, and Reverend Caroll Anthony leading the service. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Lincolnton, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 493 Calvary Church Road, Lincolnton NC 28092.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Warlick Funeral Home, Lincolnton, NC.