Lonnie Rayvon Hepler

Lonnie Rayvon Hepler, age 69, of Smith Farm Road, Lexington passed away Tuesday at Select Specialty Hospital in Winston Salem.    Funeral service will be held at 11:00 am Saturday at Bethany United Methodist Church with Rev. David Talbert, Dr. Charles (Chuck) Hutchens, and Rev. Keith Carroll officiating.  Burial will follow in Bethany Church Cemetery.   The family will receive friends in the church Sanctuary from 9:30 until 11:00 prior to the service.   Lonnie was born in Guilford County, NC September 18, 1943 to Ambrose Hepler and Eula Imbler Hepler.  He graduated from Fair Grove High School in 1961 and Western Carolina University in 1967 with an Industrial Arts and Math Degree.  He worked for Collins and Aikman in Charlotte and Albemarle for 33 years as a Senior Information System Analyst. He was a member of Bethany United Methodist Church and a Methodist his entire life. He served in many areas of the church: United Methodist Men serving as President, Board of Trustees, Pastor Parrish Committee and a lay delegate to the United Methodist Conference. He formerly served as President and other offices of the New London Lion’s Club. He was a quiet man and did many things for his church and individuals without their knowledge of his deeds. He enjoyed woodworking projects, growing gourds, working in his garden and watching birds. Lonnie was devoted to his faith and church and his family especially to his children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife, Brenda Haywood Hepler, March 21, 2012.   Surviving are: his daughters, Rachel Buchanan and husband Rich of Brooklyn, NY, Elisabeth Johnson and husband Tim of Lexington; grandchildren, Mitchell and Elisa Chandler of Lexington; step grandchildren, Nicole and Megan Johnson of Rock Hill, SC; step great-granddaughter, Kylie Ann Bolton of Rock Hill, SC; brother, Clayton Hepler and wife Margaret of Thomasville; sister-in-law, Gail Shinn and husband Michael of China Grove; nephews, Philip and Nathan Hepler of Thomasville, David Shinn of Matthews.   Memorials may be made to Bethany United Methodist Church, 193 Bethany Road, Lexington, NC  27292 or Nature Conservancy of NC, 4705 University Drive, Durham, NC 27705.   Online condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net