WAVERLY "Corky" RAINEY III

1944 - 2021

Waverly B. Rainey III "Corky"  
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, Waverly Basterfield Rainey III, "Corky," passed away peacefully, at the age of 76, following a courageous year-long battle with colon cancer. He was supported by an outpouring of love and kindness from his family and many friends. His unwavering faith in God, that guided him throughout his life, stayed with him until the end.Corky, a resident of Burke, VA was born on September 25, 1944, in Washington, DC. He was the oldest of five children born to the late Waverly Jr. and Mary Rainey of Silver Spring, MD. After earning a B.A. from the University of Maryland, he was accepted into Officer Training School in the U.S. Airforce. He retired as a Colonel in 1993 after 26 years of service. He then joined the private business sector for 15 years working for Unisys Corporation, Getronics Inc., and SRA International before joining L-3 in 2006. He retired as Senior Vice President of Business Development for L-3 Stratus in 2010.In retirement, Corky took on a busy second career as a certified Washington DC tour guide and member of the Board of Directors Guild of Professional Tour Guides. In addition, his love of music and the arts led him to being an usher at the Kennedy Center.Corky was best known for his integrity, generosity, sense of humor, and a great smile. He thoroughly enjoyed travelling, history, gardening, Washington Nationals baseball, and cooking delicious meals for his family.He is survived by his beloved wife Pati, his loving children and grandchildren: April Rainey (Owen Lawson), Joanna and Kevin Rydalch (Kayla and Luke) and Andrew and Danielle (Brayden and Taylor). He is also survived by his siblings Robert, Obern, Terry Lady and Wendy, plus many other family members in various states. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the Memorial and Honor Giving American Cancer Society, or ECHO - Ecumenical Community Helping Others (echo-inc.org). The Funeral Service will be on May 4 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church in Fairfax, VA. Please visit www.mykeeper.com/profile/WaverlyCorkyRainey for pictures, memories and further information.