Charlene Marie Gorrow

Charlene Marie Gorrow, age 71, of Meridian, Mississippi, passed away on April 23, 2026. Born on April 4, 1955, in Jackson, Michigan, to the late Dennis T. Kopf and the late Shirley Ann Newark Kopf, Charlene lived a life defined by service, generosity, and a quiet devotion to making others feel special.

Charlene answered the call to serve her country when she entered the United States Navy Officer Candidate School in April 1980. She was commissioned as Ensign Kopf that September, embarking on a distinguished naval career that would take her to several duty stations across the Southeast. She served at VRF-31 in Norfolk, Virginia October 1981 thru April 1983; Personnel Support Detachment in Pensacola, Florida April 1983 thru March 1986; Military Entrance Processing Station in Charlotte, North Carolina March 1986 thru October 1988; and Training Air Wing One in Meridian, Mississippi November 1988 thru April 1991. It was that last assignment that would change her life in ways she never expected.

In January 1989, while stationed in Meridian, Charlene enrolled in an "Introduction to Computers" course at Meridian Community College. There she met Wayne D. Gorrow, and what began in a classroom turned into the love of her life and a romance that would span 37 beautiful years. Charlene and Wayne were married on August 12, 1989, at Trinity Presbyterian Church. In April 1991, Charlene resigned her lieutenant's commission to support Wayne as he transitioned from his role as a Navy electronics technician to a career with the Federal Aviation Administration in Memphis, Tennessee. The two returned to Meridian in January 1993 at the request of the FAA, and Meridian became their home for good.

Those who knew Charlene knew about her love of chocolate. Her mother had taught her how to make old fashioned chocolate fudge, and Charlene turned that family recipe into something of a calling card. She made batches in the Red Cross office while volunteering under Cheri Barry, kept the Care Lodge office and shelter supplied under Leslie Payne, and even sent fudge along with Wayne to FAA training sessions in Oklahoma City to give logistics personnel to, as she put it, "grease the wheels” for when Wayne needed equipment parts. That fudge was more than candy. It was Charlene's way of showing people she cared.

For several years, Wayne would pick up donated Christmas gifts from the Care Lodge office, and Charlene would spend an entire weekend wrapping each one and adding personal touches to make people she would never meet feel special. That was simply who she was.

Charlene was also a talented and patient artist with needle and thread. She created many beautiful, intricate counted cross stitch pieces over the years, gifting them to friends and loved ones. Each piece was a reflection of her creative spirit and her desire to bring beauty into the lives of those around her.

A member of Jubilee Mennonite Church, Charlene carried her faith with a gentle steadiness. She lived out her beliefs not through grand proclamations but through quiet acts of kindness, trusting that the love she put into the world would find its way to where it was needed most. She now rests in the peace and grace she so faithfully shared with others.

Charlene is survived by her beloved husband, Wayne D. Gorrow of Meridian, Mississippi; her brothers, Jim Kopf (Darlene) and John Kopf, both of Michigan; her Jubilee Mennonite Church and Meridian Airport families and friends in the community; and her canine fur babies Lucky, Rascal and Dot; along with her feline fur babies, Daisy and Midnight. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dennis T. Kopf and Shirley Ann Newark Kopf.

A private memorial will be held at a later date to celebrate Charlene's life. 

In lieu of a public service, her family invites those who knew her to remember her the way she would have wanted, with a piece of dark chocolate and an act of kindness for someone they may never meet. Charlene would have liked that.

The staff of Webb & Stephens Funeral Homes-North is grateful for the opportunity to honor Charlene’s life and memory and to serve her loving family during this time.