Charles Kendrick Corley, 88, of Abilene died Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at Hendrick Hospice Care in Abilene. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, September 9, 2019 at the Southwest Park Baptist Church with Dr. Mike Woodard officiating under the direction of Bailey Howard Funeral Home of Clyde. Burial will follow in the Clyde Cemetery. Visitation will be on Monday from 12:00 p.m. until service time at the church. Mr Corley will be in state from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home.

Charles was born April 17, 1931 on the family farm in Clyde to Charles (Chalk) Frank and Ruby (Kendrick) Corley. He graduated from Clyde High School and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology from Hardin Simmons University. He married Gayla Loyce Vardeman in Abilene on June 8, 1968. He served in the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of First Lieutenant. He was a lifelong resident of the Clyde/Abilene area, with the exception of 18 years spent in Zimbabwe, Africa, formerly known as Rhodesia, where he and his wife served as medical missionaries. He worked for Hendrick Medical Center as a Medical Technologist for many years. He was a member of the Southwest Park Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gayla Corley of Abilene; daughter Fadzai Madyangove and husband Tichwona Mashambanhaka, both of Abilene; brother-in-law Marlo Onn Vardeman and wife Victoria of Hobbs, New Mexico; sister-in-law The Rev. Dr. Brady J. Vardeman of Abilene; grandchildren, Gayla Mashambanhaka and husband Emmanuel Hlupho and Danford Machambanhaka and niece Susie Ruby Puryear of Abilene.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents and his son Charles (Chip) Vardeman Corley.