Obituary of Lynwood Franklin Creel, Jr.

Lynwood (Sonny) Franklin Creel, Jr Obituary May 18, 1934 - January 23, 2020 Lynwood (Sonny)Franklin Creel, Jr. was born May 18, 1934, to Louetta (Haney) Creel and Lynwood (Buddy) Franklin Creel, Sr. Of Durham, NC. He was welcomed to the family of three girls, Lois, Frankie, and Violet. “Sonny,” was the first boy followed by Joel, Timothy and David Creel. ​ ​While attending Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, “Sonny” met Mary Ruth West from Elkin, NC. They were married, June 4, 1955. ​ Lynwood and Ruth Creel had their first child, Beverly Dawn (Creel) Light, on June 1, 1956. They moved from Durham, NC to Danville, VA, a few months later when Lynwood accepted a position as a Minister of Music and Christian Education at the First Pentecostal Holiness Church. ​During this time, Melody Lynn (Creel) Miller was born on August 1, 1959. Last was the only boy, Lynwood Franklin Creel, III, born August 13, 1962. ​The family moved to Memphis, TN, three months later when “Lynwood” became the Minister of Music/Christian Education director for Lamar Ave Pentecostal Holiness Church. They later attended Willow Oaks PH Church, where he led the choir and Ruth opened and was director of Peter Pan Daycare Center, a ministry of the church. During this time Lynwood worked for The Yellow Pages selling and designing advertisements and then later as a dispatcher for Roadway Express. The schedule from this job allowed him to sing and travel with the Gospel singing group, “The Coachmen.” While in Memphis he was active in the Gideons and worked with a political group called, “The Christian Coalition. ​In November of 1977, at the request of Walter L. Wood and church members of New Life Temple, Lynwood and Ruth moved to Roanoke, VA, where he was the Minister of Music and Administrative Assistant, and Ruth started a successful daycare center as a ministry of the church. They loved and enjoyed the people of New Life Temple as well as the childcare center families. ​Lynwood and Ruth joined New Covenant Ministries in May of 1983 in Vinton, VA. , Rev. Ivan Green, Pastor. Ruth kept children in the home preschool she started. Lynwood worked for Elizabeth Arden several years and made many close friends there. They both retired and enjoyed living in their home in Roanoke. ​ In more recent years, they attended Brentwood Baptist Church on Plantation Road with son Lynwood III and his wife Sheila (Davis) Creel. Pastor Rodney Spears and wife Rebekah, along with the church family welcomed them and provided excellent pastoral care for them all. ​After the death of Ruth, Lynwood attended the Feinhour Medical Adult Day Care where he enjoyed the company of many friends and caring, professional staff. He had just recently come under the care of Good Samaritan Hospice and was staying in the home of son, Lynwood III and Sheila. Pastor Rodney, Lynwood’s home caregivers, Wendy and Ida, and hospice nurses were present along with son, Lynwood III and wife Sheila when he died. ​Lynwood is survived by his Children, Beverly (Creel) Light and husband Rev. Marcus Light of Rolla, Kansas; Melody (Creel) Miller and her husband Jeff Miller of Yukon, Oklahoma; Lynwood Franklin Creel, III and wife Sheila of Roanoke, Virginia. “Sonny,” is also survived by brother, Rev. Timothy Creel and wife Ruth, of Greenville, NC and sister-in-law Judy Creel, wife of deceased brother, David Creel of Durham, NC. From the West family, surviving sisters-in-law Bonnie (West) Minter and Husband Charles, Louise (West) Lane and husband Keith of Clovis, CA; two brothers-in-law, Edward B. West of Black Mountain, NC and Larry West and wife Wanda of Elkin, NC. Included are numerous great nieces and nephews and families on both Creel and West sides. Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren: (Melody’s) Alicia (Miller) Cargill and husband, Derek and three children, Tinsley, Palmer, and Brinkley of Edmond, Oklahoma. ​Andrea (Miller) Musser and husband, Hunter of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ​(Beverly’s) ​Whitney (Light) Stilwell and husband Larry and two children Sloane and Shayne of Norman, Oklahoma; Steffan Light and wife Tara of Norman, OK Lyndsay (Light) Sprecher and husband Dillyn of Yukon, Oklahoma; Meredith Ruth Light of Yukon, Oklahoma. (Lynwood III’s) Heather Creel and husband, Matthew Morgan of Richmond, VA. Preceding Sonny In death were his wife, Ruth West Creel, Parents Louetta and Lynwood Creel Sr., Sisters Lois and husband Bob Bowers, Frankie and husband John Holbrook, Violet and husband Jessie Yates, Joel Creel, and David Creel. ​A Memorial Celebration Service of Lynwood’s Life will be held at Brentwood Baptist Church on Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 2:00 pm. Internment will be in the Cool Springs Baptist Church Cemetery, Elkin, NC next to Ruth West Creel the following afternoon on Sunday Feb 23, time TBA. Flowers may be sent to: Brentwood Baptist Church 3912 Plantation Rd. Roanoke, VA. 24012 If you wish, In lieu of flowers, gifts may be given to Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org or gifts of Gideon Bibles in Lynwood’s name at www.gideons.org. Arrangements by Simpson Funeral Home. (540)366-0707.