Rufus Sanders Whaley

Rufus Sanders Whaley II, age 50, a resident of Ooltewah, passed away on Friday, September 13, 2013 in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. He was of the Christian faith. He was a forklift mechanic. He was a past president of the McDonald Ruritan Club, and a past member of the McDonald Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of the Tellico Bear and Boar Club. He was an avid outdoorsman. Mr. Whaley was preceded in death by his grandparents: Rufus and Hazel Whaley, and Bart and Marie Brown. Survivors include his wife of thirty years, Karen Whaley of Ooltewah; two children, Rufus Sanders Whaley III of McDonald, and Cassie Young and husband Wade of Huntsville, Tennessee; his father, Sanders Whaley and wife, Becky of Cleveland; his mother, Ruth Kosoglow and husband Jerry of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; and two sisters, Rebecca Thurman of Decatur and Jerolyn Blazquez of San Antonio, Texas; two step- brothers, Mark Kosoglow and Brian Kosoglow; father-in-law, Ray Ghorley of McDonald; mother-in-law, Linda Ghorley of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; as well as several nieces and nephews survive. Funeral services will be conducted 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 18, 2013 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Pastor Jimmy Lewis officiating. Interment will be held in Lee Cemetery with Miles Ghorley, Brinn Shultz, Tim Ghorley, Ronald Lambert, Alan Norwood and David Blanks serving as pallbearers. His family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at the funeral home. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Whaley family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.