Andrew “Andy” Julius Rushing Jr.
(Aug. 16, 1952-June 2, 2020)
67, Columbia
A memorial/celebration will be held at a later date due to the COVID pandemic for Andrew “Andy” Julius Rushing Jr., 67, of Columbia, who died on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in Hattiesburg. Details will be announced as soon as they are finalized.
He was born on Aug. 16, 1952, in Bogalusa, La., to A.J. and Willona Rushing. He graduated from West Jones High School in Laurel. He attended Jones County Junior College before graduating with a degree in petroleum engineering from Mississippi State University in 1976. A few years later in 1978, he and his young family moved to Columbia after he took a job with Gulf Oil Company. They loved Columbia and even as he worked away from home a lot, they made Columbia their permanent home.
Many years later in the early ‘90’s, he was called by God to the pulpit. He served both Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Amite County and Kokomo United Methodist Church. At the time of his passing, he was a member of Chapel of the Cross United Methodist Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Gerald Daniel “Danny” Rushing.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Ann Waggoner Rushing of Columbia; two sons, Andrew J. “Trae” Rushing III (Anita) of Mobile, Ala., and Benjamin B. “Ben” Rushing (Kristin) of Columbia; grandchildren, Anita Julianna Rushing (20) and Adrian Joseph (17) Rushing, both of Mobile, and Andrew Tate Rushing (10) of Columbia, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He shared his faith with everyone the he met. He always call it “the good news.”
2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Thank you to all the friends and family for all the cards, calls, text, food, monetary gifts, prayers, kind words and love!
Special thank you to the Columbia Dialysis Unit. What a caring and loving staff. They became a part of our family.
Another special thank you goes to the Nephrology Department of Hattiesburg Clinic. Dr. Jon Thornton, Andy’s doctor for over 20 years, and his staff have always been extremely kind and compassionate.
Donations can be made to the National Kidney Foundation or to the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (M.O.R.A).
