Charles Claud Penland, 72, of Tiger and affectionately known as “Pepaw,” slipped the bonds of this earthly plane on April 17, 2020 to join his Heavenly Father.
He was born Dec. 25, 1947 in Macon County, North Carolina. Throughout his life, he was an avid hunter, fisherman, outdoorsman and gun enthusiast. Over the course of his 43-year career, he served Rabun County as an officer for Mountain Patrol and both the City of Clayton and City of Sky Valley, Chief of Police for Mountain City, and as a Deputy Sheriff. His love for community and his strong work ethic were always evident. He was of the Baptist faith and a member of Newman Chapel Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Adilene McCall Penland; a stepson, Chad Little, and a brother, Michael Penland (Audrey). He is survived by his loving wife, Lana Gale Penland, and children, Retia Merino (Raul) of Clayton, Angelia Swiencicki (Adam) of Rabun Gap and Claudia Penland (Christopher Grodde) of Rankweil, Austria; stepchildren, Bocephus Little (Becky) of Dillard and Gaila Little of Jacksonville, Fla. Also surviving are two sisters, Jane Hollifield of Clayton, Deborah Johnson (Don) of Blairsville, 22 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren as well as several nieces and nephews.
The body was at Hunter Funeral Home. A private graveside service was Monday, April 20, at 2 p.m. at Newman Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Dennis Ledford and Rev. Danny Cannon officiating. There was no public viewing or public services due to the COVID-19 outbreak.