Ike Powell

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January 7, 1938 – November 21, 2025

AI Dialogue re How Ike Powell Revolutionaized Peer Support in Menthal Health

OBITUARY

Ike Garber Powell died peacefully on November 21, 2025, in La Mesa, California, surrounded by his children—Julie, John, and Joseph—and his wife, Charlene. He was born on January 7, 1938, in the small southern town of Cairo, Georgia, a son of John Augustus Powell II and Velva Lois Garber. He was deeply devoted to his family and his lifelong work in marginalized communities.

As a teenager, Ike rose early to deliver 1200 eggs a day in his Model A Ford. He was an Eagle Scout and a football standout who set long-standing track records at Cairo High School. However, it was his involvement in the First United Methodist Church of Cairo, and immersion in the southern conservative Christian tradition, that set him on his spiritual journey of service and discovery.

Ike earned degrees from Duke and Emory in psychology and religion as well as graduate work in pastoral counselling from Columbia Theological Seminary. While at Emory, he met the love of his life, Charlene Cronier. After taking his divinity degree, he briefly served as a minister in the Capitol Homes project in Atlanta before choosing ‘social’ over ‘parish’ work. With his family, he spent more than 20 years with the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA), living in and working with impoverished rural and urban neighborhoods in the U.S. and abroad, helping empower people to improve their lives and communities.

As Director of Training for the Appalachian Consulting Group (ACG), Ike played a pivotal role in institutionalizing peer support within Georgia’s mental-health system. Beginning with Georgia’s first statewide Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) program in 2001, he helped design and deliver training that enabled people with lived experience of mental illness to work as Medicaid-funded peer supporters. He later co-developed the “Peer Support Whole Health and Resiliency”model, expanding peer support into holistic, wellness-oriented recovery. His work helped make Georgia a national leader and inspired similar programs across the country.After a lifetime alongside people from varied backgrounds, Ike came to believe the greatest powers shaping his life were love, awareness, freedom, and gratitude. He believed in love for all of creation, awareness of our current reality and its imaginable possibilities, freedom to act on that awareness, and gratitude for the mystery and wonder of life.

We will miss his compassion, leadership, wisdom, jokes, and stories.

Ike is survived by his wife, Charlene Powell; his children and their spouses Julie and John Bertram, John Powell and Jane Springer, Joseph Powell and Kira Blaskovich; his grandchildren Keightley, Karri, Kathryn, Morrison, Dylan, and Calvin; and his great grandchild, Nora Charlene. He requested a graveside service in Cairo, Georgia, at a future date when he and Charlene can be interred together. His family is planning a celebration of life after the holidays and welcomes remembrances. Please share withJulie (jbertram520@gmail.com). In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his name to the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network.

REMEMBRANCES

I love this guy!

When the Earlys became interns in the Rockford Religious House in the early 1970s, we shared a common plastered bedroom wall with Ike and Charlene. That made checking with each other very easy. Ike, on numerous occasions, lingered in the doorway to see how we were doing with his southern charm and a bit of Southern Comfort to sip. It was not unusual for us to shared things of interest from our days with each other. We laughed a lot! Ike became our go-to for explanations and answers to our “What was that about?” or “What do those words mean?” Several months into that intern year, we finally got our courage up and asked “What’s this “order stuff”?” From then on, Ike carefully broke us into being a part of the Order Ecumenical and into a world of caring. I’m grateful for the manner in which he played the role of sensitive friend and insightful spirit guide. Given witnesses by others, those gifts matured and continued to serve others. Thankfully,

~~ Leah Early

I admired Ike and Charlene very much. I always felt Ike had a twinkle in his eye, and to me, as an Australian and not understanding much about what I think is called ‘ the Deep South’ Ike reflected that reality to me. A man of deep gifts and graces. With my love,
~~ Isobel Bishop

We will miss Ike’s smile and great attitude although we have not seen him in many years. I will always remember Joe talking about marching into Heaven with “the Blue”. We are thankful for Ike’s contributions and gifts to ICA and the world,

~~ Mary Laura Jones and Ken Otto

Blessings to Ike and family on the road ahead. We are especially appreciative of the work that Ike and others did with people in NY experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges – designing workshops that the residents facilitated themselves. Grace and Peace,

~~ Sherwood and Eunice

I remember with delight the chance Joe and I had to first meet and work with Ike and Charlene as fellow staff of the Jabalpur ITI, 1971, in Madhya Pradesh, India. Julie was about 5, John was 2, Jonathan & Benjamin were 9 months old, Adam Lingo was an infant. That was the year Charles Allen Lingo, procurer of all manner of supplies and finances as “development maven”, bought out the “black market” of Gerber’s baby food! Ike and Charlene were a powerhouse team, as they proved to be ever-thereafter in whatever assignment they were given. I, like Sherwood, remember the important work Ike did to empower ordinary people with mental illness. My love goes out to the whole Powell family. Grace and peace,

~~ Marilyn Crocker

Ike and I taught RS-1 in Sherman, Texas so many years ago. After the Saturday session we went to a local bar for a beer and got hasseled by some of the local red necks because we weren’t wearing Wranglers and T-shirts.

~~ Randy Williams