Norman ‘Buddy’ Ratliff

Published 6:00 am Thursday, March 8, 2007

Services for Norman “Buddy” Ratliff, of Brookhaven, are 11 a.m.on Friday, March 9, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church inBrookhaven, with burial in the Catholic Cemetery. BrookhavenFuneral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Thursday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral homeon Jackson Street, with wake service at 7 p.m.

Mr. Ratliff, 82, died March 7, 2007, at his home, surrounded byhis family. He was born Jan. 4, 1925, in Brookhaven, to L.P.Ratliff Sr. and Marie Warren Ratliff.

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He served his country during World War II in the U.S. Navyaboard the battleship USS Colorado. He was the owner of DavisSporting Goods and a master gunsmith. He served as a colonel in theMississippi State Guard and also served in the Army NationalGuard.

Ratliff retired as director of the Lincoln County Civil Defenseand volunteered his time to many civil and community services. Heled Boy Scout Troop No. 118 for a number of years. He was a memberof the Brookhaven Exchange Club, where he served as president andreceived the John L. Leary Memorial Award. He was also a member ofthe USS Colorado Alumni Association and had been serving as vicepresident. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, theAmerican Legion and Sons of the Confederate Veterans. He was alifelong member of the National Rifle Association and an NRAfirearms safety instructor. Ratliff was an avid hunter andfisherman. He loved Civil War and World War II history and wasinstrumental in the organization of the Military Memorial Museum ofBrookhaven. In 2006, he was honored as Brookhaven’s HometownHero.

He was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, wherehe was a Fourth Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his siblings, AnnieMarie Ratliff Allgood, L.P. Ratliff Jr., William Warren Ratliff andJan Ratliff Kessler.

Survivors are his wife of 59 years, Mary Elizabeth GetwanRatliff; his sons, Norman A. Ratliff Jr., of Jackson, and David E.Ratliff and wife Michele, of Brookhaven; his daughters, Margaret R.Smith and husband Danny, of Brookhaven, and Jane R. Smith andhusband Doug, of Brandon; his brothers, Charles R. Ratliff andJerry R. Ratliff, both of Brookhaven, and Marion L. Ratliff, ofWesson; his sister, May Dee Fields, of Arvada, Colo.; hisgrandchildren, Paige Jackson, of Brandon, Heather R. Sabatini, ofNew York, N.Y., Matt Jackson and wife Amy, and Davy Ratliff, ofBrookhaven; his great-grandchildren, Mary Parker Jackson andKathleen Jackson, of Brookhaven, and a host of nieces andnephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made toHospice Ministries of Brookhaven, 397 Brookhaven St., Brookhaven,MS 39601, or St. Francis of Assist Catholic Church.