Billy Rutledge

BILLY RUTLEDGE Tupelo - Billy Q. Rutledge, 79, died Sunday, December 23, 2012, at The North Mississippi Medical Center. He was born September 20, 1933 in Union Community to Barm and Cuebell Benjamin Rutledge. A veteran, he served four years in the U.S. Air Force, he worked for Bovay Engineering for four years, retired from Bell-South as a 3rd level manager and was the former owner and operator for four years of Quality Housing Mobile Homes. He also served on the Mobile Home Assoc. for eight years; helped set up the Toy Run at the Tupelo Children's Mansion and was a member of the North East Mississippi Water Board for eleven years. He loved to ride his Harley, do leather work and enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Pinedale, Mississippi. Services will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at The Jefferson Street Chapel of W. E. Pegues with Rev. Bryan Collier officiating. Burial will be in Lee Memorial Park. W. E. Pegues Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements. Survivors include his wife of twenty-nine years, Carolyn Ward Rutledge of Tupelo; one daughter, Susie Rutledge Sheffield of Fairview, Tennessee; two sons, Christopher Ward Rutledge of Saltillo and Billy Michael Rutledge of Corinth; one sister, Annette Smith (Larry) of Etta; one brother, Rev. James Hughy Rutledge (Betty) of Amory; four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Walter McKinley; two brothers, Barm Rutledge, Jr. and Rev. Wayne Rutledge. Pallbearers will be Keith Baker, Chris McCarver, Andy Vancil, Phillip Townsend, Melvin Orr and Rodney Lindley. Honorary pallbearers will be J.P. Garrett, Larry Smith, Dr. Jack Foster, Dr. Paul White, Dr. Ricky Parker, Dr. Kimberly Box, Dr. James Speck and Dr. J. Martin Lee. Visitation will be 10 to 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to The American Cancer Society, 1800 W. Main Street, Tupelo, MS 38801, www.cancer.org .