Billy Jack Rutherford, 86, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Friday, July 3, 2020, at his residence.
Funeral services will be held 11 AM, Monday, July 6, 2020, at The Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald, Georgia, with the Rev. Sammy Smith and Pastor Jack Fields officiating. Interment will be private. The family will receive friends from 4-6 Sunday afternoon at the funeral home in Fitzgerald.
Mr. Rutherford was born October 16, 1933, in Ben Hill County, Georgia, to the late Mack & Minnie Brown Rutherford. He served his country honorably in the United States Army. He was a hard worker and began his career at Western Auto in Fitzgerald. He later drove a bread truck and worked at Harris Press & Shear in Cordele. He retired as a mechanic for CSX Railroad. He and his wife lived in Richmond, Virginia in the early 1990s before returning home to Fitzgerald in 1996. He loved to fish and hunt and enjoyed fixing old bicycles to give to children in need. He leaves many cherished memories for his family, particularly those centered around holidays. The grandchildren fondly recall him dressing up to help Santa and always having the salt and pepper shakers in his pocket while they hunted Easter eggs. He was a member of Callie Garbutt Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ann Connelly Rutherford of Fitzgerald; daughters: Ann Odell Vaughn and Naomi Louise Weaver, both of Fitzgerald; grandchildren: Tina Harper Mobley & Duane of Fitzgerald and Billy Vaughn & Summer of Chester, Virginia; three great-grandchildren: Ruthie Mobley, Tyler Vaughn, and Ethan Vaughn; and three sisters: Marie McIntosh of Burnsville, North Carolina, Saline Powell of Miami, Florida, and Christine Jenkins & Bobby of Albany. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers: David Rutherford and J.P. Rutherford.