Gary Stikeleather, 66, of Charlotte NC passed into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father Friday morning, 10/18. He is loved and missed by all. Graveside Service will be held Friday, 10/25 at 11:00 a.m. at Forest Lawn West Cemetery in the Garden of Christ section followed by a lunch reception during which we hope you will share your memories of Gary.
Gary was born and raised in Charlotte where he grew up on the west side. He graduated from West Mecklenburg High School, class of 1971. A few years after graduation he married and they were blessed with their only son Curtis. Gary enjoyed the outdoors and sports; snow skiing, rafting, fishing, and playing tennis in his younger years. As his son Curtis and nieces and nephews were growing up, he had fun planning our annual river rafting trips and leading the way down the river in his Daniel Boone coonskin cap! He had a self taught ability to be able to fix and repair most anything. He had the memory of an elephant, remembering details and family stories from long ago. Gary enjoyed spending time with our out of town relatives and keeping up with their lives. He took great delight in his pranks and tricks on people; many times with coins and cards. Playful and young at heart, he always seemed to have some sort of prop on him with which to play the ultimate “gotcha” on his “victim”. He enjoyed pranking people by inviting them to his wedding on June 31st until it dawned on them there was no June 31st! He worked in auto body repair and painting as a young man. He was retired from the railroad and also managed several properties he owned.
Gary was the third of five children born to Earl Reid and Christine Tilley Stikeleather (both deceased).
Left to cherish his memory are his son, Curtis Stikeleather, wife Robin, and the beautiful grandchildren they gave him, Abel and Fynleigh. Gary took great pride in his grandchildren and relished being called PawPaw by Abel.
He also leaves behind his siblings, Rick (Jeanette) Stikeleather, Julie (Chuck) Foster, Sandra Stikeleather Puckett, Diane Stikeleather Alsop and David Stikeleather. He is the first of us to pass and we are all just so very sad.
Nieces and nephews mourning him include Bryan (Elissa) Stikeleather, Rachel Stikeleather (Justin) Clemens, Danielle Alsop (Joe) Cooke, Dustin (Rebekah) Alsop, Robert (Dianna) Packer, Phillip Packer, Amy Keistler (Steve) Watts, Jeremy (Michelle) Keistler.
Carol Chabot (Joe) DelPrince of Cincinnati, Ohio is his special cousin who treated and thought of him as her brother. She has many fond memories of times he spent with her family. He also leaves two beloved aunts, Dot Chabot and Jennie Avant as well as numerous cousins.
If you wish, in lieu of flowers, memorials in his name may be directed to nonprofit Hopeway Foundation online at www.hopewayfoundation.org or mailed to Hopeway Foundation, 1717 Sharon Road West, Charlotte NC 28210.
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