Born in Greenwood County, South Carolina, he was the son of the late George Dexter “Tad” Rush, Jr. and Kate Smith Rush. He was a member of the Church of the Resurrection - Episcopal in Greenwood, South Carolina where he had served as Communicant. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1989 as Lieutenant Colonel.

He was a 1963 graduate of Ware Shoals High School and a 1967 graduate of Clemson University where he was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He was named a member of the Golden Tiger Society in June of 2017 for fifty years of devoted loyalty to Clemson since graduation in 1967. Lieutenant Colonel Rush did graduate work at Clemson and at the Norfolk, Virginia, Naval Operating Base’s Golden Gate University Program. He was also a graduate of the USAF Squadron Officers’ School; the Armed Forces Staff College; the NATO Staff Officers School, Oberammergau, Germany; and the United States State Department’s Interdepartmental Seminar in Washington, D.C. He served tours in Florida, Mississippi, Thailand, Virginia, Italy, Hawaii, and The State of Washington. He served in Air Force, Joint (multiple services) and Combined (international) assignments.

After retirement, he returned to his home town of Ware Shoals where he served as Mayor of Ware Shoals for 16 years. He was honored with the title of “Mayor Emeritus” for his years of devoted public service.

He served for many years as a volunteer and also for 12 years as the Chairman of the Board of the Greenwood Soup Kitchen Ministry, Inc. He  served as a Trustee of The Greenwood Museum, was Honorary Chairman of the Ware Shoals Catfish Feastival for two decades, and served as Chair of the Greenwood County Education Enrichment Foundation. He served as senior advisor to the Board of Strapem Up Boot Camp Youth Development Program of Greenville. He also worked diligently with others to garner funds to create the Ware Shoals Community Library and worked closely with the Greenwood County Library and Ware Shoals School District 51. He was inducted into the Ware Shoals Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Lieutenant Colonel Rush was active in his church. During his military travels, he had served the greater church at the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary of the Angels, Orlando, Florida; Saint Mark’s, Gulfport, Mississippi; The Church of the Ascension, Norfolk, Virginia; Christ Church (Anglican/Episcopalian) Naples, Italy; The Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Honolulu, Hawaii; and The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Spokane, Washington. At The Church of the Resurrection - Episcopal, he had served as a lector, as a Licensed Eucharistic Minister, children’s church service leader, Junior Warden, and Senior Warden. He served the Diocese of Upper South Carolina at several Diocesan Conventions and as a member of the multi-year Select Commission to revise the Diocesan Constitution and Canons.

He is survived by his adopted son, Robert “Rob” Giroux of Montgomery, Alabama and his Caretaker, Cindy Timms of Hodges, numerous cousins and a host of friends.

Pallbearers will be Henry Giroux, Maj. Larry Siler, Ret., Randy Hoag, Sgt. Robert Mauldin, John Blythe, and Tony Smith.

Funeral Services with Military Honors will be held at the Church of the Resurrection Episcopal, 700 South Main Street, Greenwood, SC 29646 on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 3:00 PM with Rev. Mary Balfour-Dunlap and Rev. Mark Lowe officiating. Visitation will be held on Monday, February 6, 2023 from 5 to 7 PM at Parker-White Funeral Home, 17 N. Greenwood Ave. Ext., Ware Shoals, SC 29692 and after the service Tuesday at the church.

In Lieu of Flowers memorials should be made to: Ware Shoals Community Library, 54 S. Greenwood Ave., Ware Shoals, SC 29692, or Greenwood Soup Kitchen Ministry, 929 Phoenix St., Greenwood, SC 29646, or Church of the Resurrection-Episcopal, 700 S. Main St., Greenwood, SC 29646, or Strapum Up Boot Camp Youth Development Program, 205 Haylands Trail, Taylors, S.C. 29687. Online condolences may be made at www.ParkerWhitePruitt.com

“May his soul and the souls of all the departed, by the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen”  (from The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church)