Glen Gilpin

June 14, 1944 – Feb. 10, 2018

Glen Gilpin was born June 14, 1944, in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. He was the youngest of nine children born to Edgar and Gertie Gilpin. Frankie Gilpin, a brother born just before Glen, died in infancy. As a result, "little Tootie" was extremely loved and protected by his "six" mothers.
His sister, Dorothy, describes him as a beautiful gift to the family. She said, "When Glen came to our family, he was such a blessing. We all thanked God every day we had him in our lives. He never gave anyone any trouble. He had wonderful listening skills but never talked bad about anyone. He was always pleasant, always happy. He was pure joy every day of his life to everyone who knew him. We thank God for all the years He gave Glen to us."
Glen spent his childhood in Arkansas, and his daddy was transferred to Houston by the railroad when he was 12. Glen has many friends who have enjoyed a lifelong friendship with him as hunting and fishing buddies.
With his first wife, Carol, Glen had two wonderful children: Glenda and Christopher Gilpin. Following in his father's footsteps, Glen achieved the rank of 32nd Degree Mason and was a member of Shriner's International. These associations meant a lot to him, and he maintained his membership throughout his life.
Glen was an HVAC technician by trade, and he met his second wife, Charlotte Marie Gilpin, when he came to fix her air conditioner. It was the best service call he ever made, because their relationship continued to blossom until they were married on May 5, 1991.
Drew Lopez, a friend of both Glen and Charlotte, describes Glen as follows: "To those who knew him, Glen was a thoughtful and good friend. He was quick to observe the talents of those around him and to express heartfelt appreciation when those talents were shared with him. In more social settings, Glen had the ability to recognize those that may be nervous, and find ways to help them feel more comfortable. He was sensitive and thoughtful to the youth, oft times sharing a joke and brightening their day with his contagious laughter. His strength was expressed through his personal, one-on-one interactions, sharing a kind word or flashing a big smile that would put any and all at ease. Glen loved the outdoors and took advantage of the warm Houston weather to ride his Harley motorcycle, spend the day fishing on a lake with Charlotte, or bird hunting with his host of hunting buddies.  He also enjoyed traveling. In their almost 27 years of marriage, this happy couple visited every state in the union except North Dakota, and they had a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China and Bali. Glen and Charlotte are Platinum cruisers with Carnival, and Charlotte is especially grateful for the perfect back-to-back cruises that they took together December 2-16, 2017."
With his twinkling eyes, jovial laugh, and snow-white beard, Glen acted as Santa's helper at many church Christmas parties where he delighted countless numbers of children. He was especially good at this because he loved all children and was essentially just a big kid himself. He had the uncanny ability to change in an instant from a tender and loving adult, who took care of all Charlotte's needs, to a child who could sit down on the floor and play imagination games with any child on their level.
Glen is preceded in death by his father and mother, Edgar and Gertie Gilpin; his sister, Eva; his brother, Everett; his sister, Alice; his sister, Bonnie; his brother, Vernon; and his brother Frankie. Glen is survived by his sisters, Dorothy and Dee; his wife, Charlotte; his daughter, Glenda; his son, Chris; grandsons, Christopher, Charles and Brittney; and great-grandchildren, Kristopher and Khloe. On Charlotte's side, he is survived by his step-daughter, Kathy; his step-son, Bryan; his step-grandson, Justin; his step-granddaughter, Savannah; and his step-granddaughter, McKenzie Charlotte. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all.