William Gerald Rawlins Jr.

RAWLINS SFC William Gerald Rawlins, Jr. (Army/ARNGUS, FL, ret.), 55, of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL went home to be with the Lord unexpectedly on Saturday, November 29, 2003. He was born October 3, 1948 in Jacksonville, FL. Bill graduated from Ribault High School in 1968 and immediately enrolled in the military, first serving in the U.S. Navy and then the Army National Guard. One month before he left for Basic Training, Bill met Jan Nurse and knew that she was the love of his life. Six months following a tour of duty in Vietnam on the U.S.S. Forrestal, Jan and Bill were married on November 13, 1971. God blessed this union twice with the addition of a daughter, Jodie, on April 1, 1973 and a son, Billy, on October 5, 1976. After retiring from the military, Bill enjoyed a successful career with Zabel Environmental Technology as an Environmental Specialist. Bill held three beliefs above all else; God, Country and Family. He firmly believed that God was responsible for making all things possible in his life and thanked God everyday for the blessings bestowed upon him. In order to uphold his beliefs and blessings, Bill was a faithful soldier in the military for 26 years, serving both in Vietnam and the Gulf Wars. After God and Country, Billâs strongest love was for his family and he put them above all others. Anyone who knew him can quote his favorite saying, " If you dont have family, you dont have anything". Bills favorite hobbies were spending time with his grandson, fishing and hunting, for which he was feared by deer in three states. He was a member of the North American Hunting Club; Terrallâs Hunting Club and the St. Augustine Skeet Club. Bill was truly thankful for everything in his life and we will all miss him dearly. We will always remember him as a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend and patriot. Family members cherishing his memory include the love of his life, his wife of 32 years, Judith (Jan) Nurse Rawlins; his son and baby boy, William Gerald Rawlins, III; his daughter and sunshine, Judith Allison (Jodie) Reeves; his son-in-law, Brian Reeves; grandson and best buddy, Jacob William Reeves; Godsons, Alexander DeLoach and Morgan Nurse; brothers and sisters-in-law, Harry and Jan Nurse and Larry and Debbie Nourse; mother-in-law, Helen Nurse; nieces and nephews, Tom, Lesley and Katie Jenkins, Harry Nurse, III, Larry, Amy, Jared, Erik and Robby Nourse, Chris and Rachel Caudill, Josh, Danielle and Andrew Lunsford and D.G. VanMeter; uncles and aunt, Hugh and Rita Rawlins and Charlie Bueltman; special friends, Steve and Michele DeLoach and three sisters, Nancy, Margaret and Mary Frances. The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday (today), December 2nd in the Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home. A Celebration of Billâs Life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 3rd in the Chapel of the Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home with the Reverend Albert Byrd, officiating. Interment in the Ponte Vedra Valley cemetery with full military honors will follow the service Pallbearers will include Pres Allinder, Steve DeLoach, Tom Jenkins, Larry Nourse, Billy Rawlins, Brian Reeves, Allen Tartt and D.G. VanMeter. Honorary Pallbearerâs will be Alex DeLoach and Morgan McKinney Nurse. Friends and family will continue the celebration at his home following the interment service. Services under the care and direction of Quinn-Shalz, A Family Funeral Home & Cremation Centre. 3rd St. at Ponte Vedra Blvd., 249-1100, www.quinn-shalz.com Please sign the Guestbook at Jacksonville.com