CH (LTC) Charles Wesley Pike (RET)

Chaplain Wes Pike passed on to God’s kingdom on Monday, January 22, 2024. He was born March 1,1940 in Emma, North Carolina. He married his childhood sweetheart, Shirley Louise Buckner Pike, on October 19, 1958. They shared 65 years of a wonderful marriage. She was his best friend and a great supporter of his ministry.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles B. and Mary L. Pike; his brother, Stephen Joe Pike, December 1945; sister, DeLee Frances Pike, May 19, 1959; and Roy Kenneth Pike, December 18, 2022.

He is survived by his lovely wife, Shirley L. Pike; two sons, Anthony Lee (Maria), of Sierra Vista, Arizona, and Donald Pike, of Weaverville, North Carolina; daughter, Teresa Diana Cologgi (Paul), of Victor, New York; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; brother, Roger (Mary Joyce); sisters Carolyn Allen and Yvette Pike; and several nieces and nephews.

Chaplain Pike answered the call to the ministry in 1962 while serving in the US Air Force. He left the Air Force in 1963 and attended Fruitland Baptist Institute (now Fruitland Baptist College) for two years. He then entered Mars Hill College (now Mars Hill University), and earned a BA in Religion. From there, he went to Fort Worth, Texas and attended Southwestern Baptist Theology Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. In 1972 he applied and was accepted as a Chaplain in the US Army. He earned a MS (Guidance and Counseling) from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, in 1978. He attended Command and General Staff College (US Army) and graduated in 1982. He retired in 1992, having served a total of 26 years in the armed forces.

Other areas of ministry included Pastor of Bull Creek Baptist Church from 1965-1969 in Mars Hill, North Carolina; Central Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas; Lingleville Baptist Church, in Lingleville, Texas; Corinth First Baptist Church in Corinth, Texas; Pine Burr Park Baptist Church in Weaverville, North Carolina; and North Black Mountain Baptist Church in Barnardsville, North Carolina. He served as Director of Mission for the French Broad Baptist Association from 2000 – 2012. He and his wife then volunteered at the veteran’s hospital in Oteen, North Carolina, and the State Veteran’s Home in Black Mountain from 2012-2019. He continued to do supply and interim ministry until his death. 

He was a member of Newbridge Baptist Church where he served as Associate Pastor from 2015 until July 2023.

He was rarely seen without his lovely wife beside him. When he left a church, they said his wife had to stay. She was such a great inspiration to all that she worked with.

Chaplain Pike had a lifelong passion for serving the Lord and his country. His motto was, “Serve God first and country second.” This he did.

His hobby was old cars. He enjoyed tinkering around with his old vehicles, from a ’29 Buick to other classic vehicles.

Chaplain Pike’s funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, January 26, 2024 at  Newbridge Baptist Church. Rev. Clark Henderson and Rev. Brian Buckner will officiate. The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25 at West Funeral Home. Burial with military honors will follow in the Veteran’s Section of West Memorial Park. Flowers are welcome or contributions may be made to Newbridge Baptist Church (Veteran’s Dinner Fund), 199 Elkwood Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina 28804.

West Family Funeral Services is honored to be serving Wesley’s family and condolences may be offered under his obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com.