A Celebration of Life for James Rudolph “Rudy” Smith, 69 of Decatur will be 1:00 PM, Monday, October 2, 2017 at Macedonia C.P. Church in America with Elder Joe Homer Cater officiating.  Inhumation will follow in Sterrs Cemetery.  The body will lie in repose one hour prior to funeral.  Public viewing will be Saturday and Sunday from 2-6 at Reynolds Funeral Home. The family will receive friends on Sunday evening from 6-7 at the funeral home.

James R. Smith was born on March 28, 1948 in Decatur, Alabama to the late James Flowers and Evelyn Smith Ewing.  He died September 23, 2017 at Athens-Limestone Hospital.

Rudy was a 1966 graduate of Lakeside High School.  He then enlisted in the U.S. Army where he completed basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion 75th Field Artillery Unit in Germany.  After serving in the military, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio to assist his brother, James “Jimmy” Flowers with his family business.  He later relocated back to Decatur where he was a proprietor of several businesses.

He was preceded in death by: his parents, James Flowers and Evelyn Smith Ewing; brothers, James Flowers Jr., Anthony Flowers; and sister, Anona Flowers.

He leaves to cherish his memory: sons, Mario Evans, Cedric Evans (Tonya); daughters, Erica Powell (Orlando), Donique Smith Prettyman; step-children, Mark Evans, Sabrina Evans, Deljuan Prettyman and Deontay Prettyman; grandchildren, Whitney Evans, Brianna Evans, Shantara Evans, Xylan Sullivan, Jakarian Evans, Sevyn Lampkin, Jayda Evans, Kanavis Lee, Martavius Lee, Jasmine Evans, LeBrandrick Evans, Telvin Evans, Rockale Lyons, Malik Lyons, Alantah Jarman, Skyla Jackson, Shady Prettyman, Deontay Prettyman Jr.; siblings, Irene (Ronnie) Morrow of College Park, GA, Larry (Tange) Flowers of Cleveland, OH, Edmond Flowers of Huntsville, Rhonda Flowers-McDaniel (Deangelo) of Moulton; sister-in-law, Jane Edna Flowers of Decatur; four aunts, Minnie Wheeler and Vergie Smith Byrd of Decatur, Sandra Fuqua of Huntsville, Barbara Fuqua (Larry) of Decatur; one uncle, Louis Fuqua Jr. of Lawrenceburg, TN;  a host of other relatives and friends.