Pastor Douglas G. Rudow
Pastor Douglas G. Rudow 64, of Decatur, IL went to be with his Lord and Savior at 1:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 15, 2021 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur.
A service to honor Doug’s life and salvation will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 20, 2021, at Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home, Mt. Zion, Pastor Rod Hite from Destiny Fellowship will be officiating. The family will receive friends for visitation Sunday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Mt. Zion Township Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Spirit of Life Church. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at dawson-wikoff.com.
Doug was born May 25, 1957, in Decatur, IL the son of Walter E. and Gwendolyn I. (Reatherford) Rudow. He married Carla Warnick on March 22, 1986. Doug worked for ADM for 21 years, but in his earlier days he began his ministry promoting Christian concerts and traveled in the band Torah. He obtained a bachelor’s degree and graduated Cum Laude from Lincoln Christian College and went on to be a Youth and Associate Pastor at Heartland Community Church. Serving as Missions Director he traveled to India, Africa, Italy and Guatemala. From a picture, he used his talents to design and build the playground and back buildings. Doug was the founding pastor of Spirit of Life Church where he loved, mentored, and used his vast knowledge to teach and train disciples. He played drums in the praise band, ran the Spirit of Life Swim Club and used his vast skills to remodel the building. Described as a “Man of Many Talents” He could fix anything and if he didn’t know how to do it, he’d learn. Doug obtained his private pilot’s license and was an entrepreneur owning MasterCraft Builders and Rudow Rentals. His family was very important to him and truly enjoyed playing “Skip-Bo” with family and dear friends. He was always the first to help and loved and cared for people deeply. His boys were his pride and joy and prayed for them every day. He truly loved his wife. He showed her every day. When in the hospital he was asked would you want to be married for 64 years, his quick response was, longer!! God truly put them together as a team and their hearts were knit as one. They’re looking forward to that “date” in heaven and we’re sure Doug and Dewey, his rat terrier, are together again.
Surviving is his wife: Carla of Decatur; sons: Blaine Rudow (Kalyn) of Indianapolis, IN and Brock Rudow of Baton Rouge, LA.
Doug was preceded in death by his parents, step-mother: Adelia Rudow, brother Bruce Rudow, and sister: Rene’ Birge.
