Judy Mae Rushing

Millport, AL – Judy Mae Rushing, 71, passed away on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, at DCH Medical Center, Tuscaloosa. Born on August 22, 1944, in Nettleton, she was a daughter of the late Johnnie Buck and Cleo Crouch Edwards.

Judy was a graduate of Nettleton High School, Vaughn’s Beauty College, and received her Barbering Certification at Northwest Alabama State Technical College. On October 3, 1979, she married Avon Rushing. Thoroughly enjoying her work as a cosmetologist for 35 years, Judy also taught cosmetology at Northwest Alabama State Technical College. Judy attended Meadow Branch Missionary Baptist Church in Kennedy, AL. A woman who stayed very active, she later became a school bus driver, a dispatcher at Lamar County 911 for 7 years, and was the Return Officer for her voting precinct for 6 years. The life of the party, Judy was fun loving, caring, and unselfish. Independent and enjoying life to the fullest, Judy deeply loved spending time with her family and her brothers and sisters. In her free time, she liked bowling, traveling, talking on the phone, and shopping with her friends; gardening; and watching “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Voice.” An excellent cook, Judy was known for having the best homemade biscuits. Her two favorite quotes were, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything,” and “Not goodbye, see you later babes.”

Survivors include her husband and best friend, Avon Rushing, Millport; sons, Richard Armstrong (Sandra), Hamilton, and Rodney Armstrong (Laurie Russ), Millport; daughters, Kathy Brown (Tommy), Millport, AL, Kay Shackelford (Danny), Kennedy, AL, and Karon Bishop (Paul), Spanish Fort, AL; her oldest and last sister, Johnnie Faye Reese, Tupelo; brothers, Jerry Edwards (Elaine) and Jimmy Edwards (Judy) of Amory; grandchildren, Aleigha Colvin (Lee), James Shackelford (CeCe), Chrystal Jones (Zach), Josh Armstrong, Hope Armstrong, Nickey Thomas (Jerry), Ronnie Thomas (Jessica), Richard Brown (Jamie), T. J. Brown, Lamesha Vail (Dag), Hannah Goodwin (Nick), Todd Bishop (Joy), and Alex Bishop; great-grandchildren, Zachary Graham; Montana Vail; Cindy Thomas; Jonathan and Austin Berryhill; Destin, Casey, and Levi Brown; Arabelle, Zeke, and Zaidyn Colvin; Ryan Eiynck; Kaylie, Tucker, and Kera Shackelford; Colton, Brady, and Noah Bishop; Ava Grace Jones; Alexis and Allissa Holliman; and Sidney Vice; great-great-grandson, Colton Goodwin; former mother-in-law, Edith Jackson Armstrong, Amory; father of her sons, Louis Armstrong, Memphis; nieces and nephews, Tonya Flurry; Greg Edwards; Vickie Lynn Mitchell; Bubba, Buck, and Bernie Wayne Payne, David Reese; Brenda Stanford; Connie Clayton; Jobi McKinney; Melanie Ware; Ricki Payne; Mike and Ted Beasley; Jason, Rusty, Randy, Chris, Carol, and Janice Edwards; Jill Johnson; Heather Sartin; Terry Witcher; and Joey, Johnny, and Sean Edwards; and special friends, Sheila Smith, Patsy Wright, and Delores Bird.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Herman, Joe Hollis and Billy Gerald “Shorty” Edwards; sisters, Joanne Payne, Josie Beasley, and Ludie Payne; granddaughter, Patricia Brown; nephew, Daryl Payne; and special friends Marcelle Harrison and Elaine Green.

Her Funeral Service will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, October 10, 2015, at E. E. Pickle Funeral Home, Amory, with Bro. Raymond Spann and Bro. Chris McCool officiating. Burial will follow in Wren Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Bubba, Bernie Wayne, and Buck Payne; David Reese; Jerry Stanford; and Greg Edwards. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike and Ted Beasley.

Visitation will be from 12 – 1:50 PM, Saturday, at the funeral home.

Memories and condolences may be shared with her family at EEPickleFuneralHome.com.