Ruby Jean Presley Rusk of McDonough, Ga passed away peacefully on December 26, 2022 at the age of 74 after a long battle with dementia. She was born on December 4, 1948 in Memphis, TN to Gene Waylon Presley, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and Ruby Etta Greer, a homemaker.
The Presley family moved around several times before settling in Rome, Ga. Jeannie attended Model High School there and would go on to Lee University in Tennessee where she lettered on the basketball team and received her bachelor's in education. She continued her studies at Georgia State where she received her masters.
Jeannie taught for the Fulton and Clayton county school system for 36 years before retiring in 2010 to spend more time with her family. Her and her husband moved to McDonough, Ga in 2019.
In the late 60’s, while working at a cotton mill, she would meet her future husband, Herbert “Don” Rusk and the course of her life would be forever changed. Jeannie and Don would write letters to each other while he was stationed in Vietnam and then Germany that would only solidify their love. Upon returning to the states, they would marry in 1972, settle in Jonesboro, Ga and start a family. They welcomed their daughters Ashley in 1979 and Whitney in 1989.
Jeannie enjoyed travelling, which her family did often, enjoying places like Jekyll and St Simons island, but fell in love with Hawaii to which they vacationed many times over the years, even having a small business there when their firstborn, Ashley, was a small child. She also was a talented cook, made a delicious Irish stew, though Don did most of the cooking, and while her husband is an excellent artist, able to draw and sketch anything, Jeannie could paint beautiful pictures.
Her true love besides her family was God. She took every opportunity she could to go worship and that relationship sustained her as well as her family, as it continues to do. Jeannie was a godly woman in every sense, her love and compassion for others was evident not only through her teaching but with her gentleness and grace with everything she did.
Although she was quiet and thoughtful, she was also quick-witted and funny. When Jeannie spoke, she had everyone’s attention and respect and she spoke with wisdom and clarity.
Jeannie is preceded in death by her father and mother, as well as her half-brothers Donald Bennet and Bobby Bennet. She is survived by her sister Carol Grant (née Presley), her husband Herbert Donald Rusk and her daughters Ashley Girdwood (née Rusk) and Whitney Rusk.
There will be a viewing on January 4, 2023 at 12:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm at Haisten Funeral Home, 1745 S Zack Hinton Pkwy McDonough, Ga 30253. Burial will take place the following day, January 5th, 2023 at 2:00 pm at the Georgia National Cemetery, 1080 Scott Hudgens Dr, Canton, Ga 30114.
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