Charles Edward Neal, AKA Big Daddy, passed into the loving arms of his heavenly Father on May 24, 2017, at 101 years of life. He was with his girls and his loving family of Hospice and Azalea Court care givers.

He was born May 10, 1916 in Clay Township, Ohio to James and Anna Neal. He was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife Orlinda Hagewood Neal; his brothers, Clay, Walter, Grant, Frank, and Bill; and his sisters, Pauline, Mary, and Margaret.

Big Daddy is survived by his daughters, Marilyn Hughes Wilson (Les) and Dottie Perry Sims; four grandchildren, Preston Marlin (Rosemary), John Marlin, Jay Perry (Tracy), and Tracey Trebon (Greg); and six great grandchildren, Chris, Tiffany, Pierce, Georgia Bryan, Rhett, and Polly.

Big Daddy was in the 9th infantry of the U.S. Army for 20 Years, he was a part of D-Day and landed on Utah Beach. On March 7, 1945 he was a liberator for Nordhausan Dora Concentration Camp in Thuringua Germany which housed 60,000 prisoners.

In the late 1950's, he met Orlinda Hughes and they date until Uncle Sam sent him on his final military assignment to Korea. They wrote each other every day as evidenced by the letters that are still in the possession of his family. He asked her to marry him as soon as he got home and mailed her a bolt of blue silk to have a wedding dress made. They were married in July 1961 at Tulip Street Methodist Church.

After his retirement from the Military, he worked for the State of Tennessee Highway Department in Nashville where he worked another 20 years until his second retirement.

Charles and Orlinda moved to Smyrna in 1976 on Rocky Fork Road where he loved to garden. He lived there until he moved to Azalea Court. Big Daddy was a member of Giles Creek Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be at 12PM, Saturday, May 27, 2017 with a visitation to begin at 10AM and go until the time of service all at Woodfin Chapel, Smyrna with Bro. Terry Campbell of Giles Creek Baptist Church and Bro. Marshall Gupton officiating. Burial will follow at Mapleview Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Preston Marlin, Chris Marlin, Jay Perry, Howard Brindley, Spencer Sellers, and Ryan Brooker. Honorary pallbearers will be Les Wilson, John Marlin, Dr. Chris Thompson, Alive Hospice, and the caregivers of Azalea Court.

The family has requested that donations be made to the Alive Hospice Foundation or to the charity of your choice in memory of Big Daddy.

An online guestbook is available at www.woodfinchapel.com . Woodfin Chapel, Smyrna. 615-459-3254.