Albert Ernest "Al" Rast Jr. RAST Albert "Al" Ernest Rast Junior, 77, passed away on Thursday evening, March 6, 2008 at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Al was born on March 7, 1930 in Orangeburg, South Carolina to the late Albert Ernest Rast, Senior and Maybelle Blackmon Conner. A 1947 graduate of Orangeburg High School, Al went on to graduate from The Citadel in 1951 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in the United States Army from 1951-1953 and was a member of the Army Reserve from 1951-1977 and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following an Honorable Discharge from the United States Army in 1953, Al moved to Wilmington, North Carolina with the Atlantic Coastline Railroad in the Real Estate Department. He was transferred to Jacksonville, Florida in 1960 where he remained with the railroad until his retirement from CSX Transportation in 1990. He was an active member of Saint Paul United Methodist Church in Jacksonville where he was a member of the Bykota Sunday School Class, the United Methodist Men, and served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was also a member of the North East Florida Citadel Club. Al loved life and lived each day to its fullest. He loved being with his family and friends, fishing, and was known for his famous pit-cooked barbeque. Always a storyteller, Al would keep his family and friends entertained with his views on life, offering wisdom and guidance as a part of each story. Al is survived by his wife, Mary Louise Johnson Rast of Jacksonville, Florida, and his three children and six grandchildren: His daughter, Karen Rast Blackwell, her husband Grayson (Butch) of Orangeburg, South Carolina, her daughter and son-in-law Allison and Todd Arant of Decatur, Georgia, and her son Grayson (Gray) of Orangeburg, South Carolina; his son, Albert (Bert) Ernest Rast III, his wife Robin, and daughters Sarah and Rebecca of Sandy Springs, Georgia; his son, David Edward Rast, his wife Juneko, and daughters Sophia and Camille of Peachtree City, Georgia. He is also survived by two half sisters: Elizabeth Grantham of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Emilie Cox of Orangeburg, South Carolina. He was preceded in death by granddaughter Ariel Hope Rast. Visitation with his family will be held on Saturday evening, March 8, 2008 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Hardage-Giddens Chapel Hills Funeral Home at 850 North St. John’s Bluff Road in Jacksonville, Florida. The funeral will be on Sunday afternoon, March 9, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at Saint Paul United Methodist Church at 8264 Lone Star Road in Jacksonville, Florida. The burial will on Tuesday morning, March 11, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery on Broughton Street in Orangeburg, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Landscaping Fund at Saint Paul United Methodist Church in the name of Al Rast (8264 Lone Star Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32211). Please Sign the Guestbook @ Jacksonville.com Tags: 1951
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