Seabie Paul "Gunner" Rucker

Seabie Paul "Gunner" Rucker died on August 13, 2022, at WillowBrook Assisted living in Lake City, FL.

He was born in Lake Butler, FL., on November 8, 1932, to Seaborn P. Rucker and Lattice Thomas Rucker. He graduated from Union County High School in 1951 and enlisted in the Navy as he followed his call to military service.

He served in the Navy for 22 years, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 3. After that, he worked for Snap-on Tools, the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles and the Florida Department of Corrections. While working at DOC, he obtained his BS in Criminology from Florida State University.

He was involved in Masonic organizations for decades and served as Worshipful Master of the Lake Butler Masonic Lodge in 1983. He was also a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Lake City.

Describing and paying tribute to Seabie is challenging, because he loved to tell his own story, and no one did it the way he did. His faith, his family and his country were his priorities, and it showed in everything he did. He also loved entertaining little kids and hardly anyone escaped an interaction with him in his final years without a Dum-Dum pop as a treat. He kept life interesting for anyone whose path he crossed, and no one will replace his unique style.

The family is grateful to the nurses and staff of the Neuro ICU at UF Health/Shands, to VITAS Healthcare and to everyone at WillowBrook Assisted Living for their compassionate care.