James R. “Buzzy” Rawlings III, 70, of Spotsylvania County went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at Hughes Home after being diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration in 2014.
Buzzy was born in Petersburg and raised in Dinwiddie County. He graduated from Dinwiddie High School in 1969, where he excelled at football, basketball, baseball and track. Buzzy took classes at John Tyler and Germanna Community College. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Vietnam War.
Buzzy loved to hunt and fish and was a member of Accakeek Hunt Club in Stafford. He loved spending time at the Outer Banks with his family and friends. Buzzy worked for Virginia Power/Dominion Power for 34 years, retiring in 2010.
Survivors include his loving wife of 44 years, Faye Proctor Rawlings; his daughter, Tamela M. Gordon (William); his bonus daughter, Katie E. Huffstickler (Sam); two grandsons William W. “Noah” Gordon IV and Taylor James Gordon; bonus grandson Ryan Drumm; bonus granddaughter Drew Huffstickler; great-grandson Ryder Lee Cox-Gordon; sister Toni Ann Oplinger (Art); brothers Michael D. Rawlings (Kim) and Bobby L. Rawlings (Carolyn); sister-in-law Lynne M. Rawlings; special nephew, Jeffery Blane Rawlings II, who he thought of as his son; special niece Bayli Larkin Rawlings Hayes (Pierre); aunt Gloria Rawlings Woody; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, James R. Rawlings Jr. and Anna Rugar Rawlings; sister Nancy B. Rawlings; and brother Jeffery Blane Rawlings.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15 at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg.
A service will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 16 at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Quantico National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wounded Warriors Project, Gary Sinise Foundation, that supports military families and veterans, or the Spotsylvania SPCA.