J. "REX" McCRARY

J. “Rex” McCrary entered into the full presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 11, 2026. He was born in Marvel, AL on November 30, 1931, to Daisye Langston McCrary and Jewel Watson McCrary. He attended elementary school in Plantersville, AL. He moved to Hueytown in 1943 and graduated from Hueytown High School in 1950. He joined the Navy and served from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War on the USS Wantuck. After the war, he decided to become a minister and attended Howard College, now Samford University. He was a lay minister for 25 years and pastored 5 churches. Rex had many different career pursuits and opened Rex Realty in Hueytown, AL. He married Camille Bush Richardson on April 1, 1983. She had two daughters, Julia and Beth, who he loved as his own. Together, Rex and Camille, continued their real estate pursuits, became real estate auctioneers and owned McCrary Antiques. They attended Hunter Street Baptist Church where they were instrumental in beginning the Hispanic Ministry which later became Christ Our Hope Church in Bessemer, AL. Rex and Camille participated in mission trips to Africa and Ecuador where they helped their team raise funds to purchase a church building for Galilee Baptist Church in Otavalo Ecuador. Outside the church, he focused on helping those suffering from addiction. He served as Chairman of the Board of Alabama Teen Challenge, a faith based organization committed to helping those with addiction issues. He and Camille started a home for women who had completed a faith based addiction program to help them begin their new lives. They named the home, Daisye’s Place, in honor of his mother. By far, one of the best days of his life was May 15, 1995 when Julia and Barry Shirley had their first born child, William Huston Shirley, and Rex officially became “Papa.” He would become “Papa” to six more grandchildren, Rachel Beth Shirley, Kathleen Rose Shirley, Frank Yeadon Patrick, Jr., Amelia Kathleen Arant, Colin Michael Patrick, and Emma Camille Patrick. They were all his greatest treasures. Rex was predeceased by his father Jewel Walton McCrary, his mother Daisye Langston McCrary, his sister, Dorthy McCrary Purcell, his brother-in- law Donald Purcell and his brother, Douglas Langston McCrary, and his brother-in- law Tommy A. Nunnely. He is survived by his wife of almost 43 years, Camille McCrary, his sister, Mary Ellen Nunnley, his step-daughters, Julia Richardson Shirley (Barry) and Beth Richardson Patrick, and his 7 grandchildren, Huston (Erin), Rachel, and Kathleen Shirley; Yeadon, Amelia (Carver), Colin, and Emma Patrick. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Sarah Hicks McCrary and a host of family and friends. The visitation will be Monday, March 16, 2026, from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM, at Peoples Chapel Funeral Home, 195 Brooklane Drive, Hueytown, AL 35023. The funeral service will be at 11:00 AM at the Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Valhalla Cemetery In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial monetary donations to Christ Our Hope Church for Galilee Baptist Church, Ecuador, 2232 Lakeside Drive, McCalla, AL 35111. For the family, his memory and kindness will be eternal. A special thank you from his family to his caregivers, nurses and professionals at Compassus Hospice.