Richard Arlen Rouse

Rev. Richard A. Rouse, 76, a resident of Honoraville, Alabama, passed away peacefully in his home with his family on Sunday, April 23rd, 2023. Funeral services for Richard will be held at 2 PM on Friday, April 28th, at Rutledge Methodist Church with Rev. Dunford Cole and Rev. Kris Rouse officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Zion Methodist Church Cemetery in Honoraville with Turners Funeral Home of Luverne directing. The family will receive friends at the church on Friday for one hour prior to the service.

Richard always had a heart for serving others and he did so both personally and professional. He started his career as a social worker for DHR and tirelessly advocated for those most in need for 23 years until his retirement in January of 1997. Additionally, Richard wanted to serve his God and his fellow Christians and so entered the ministry as a pastor with the United Methodist Church in 1991. He continued to faithfully serve churches across Crenshaw, Butler, and Montgomery Counties until he retired in 2009. However, he could never truly give up his greatest passion and so continued to serve at Hills Chapel Methodist Church in Montgomery County until his passing.

Richard was a generous and hard-working man who dedicated himself to both his family and his church family. He was considered a wonderful neighbor by those best in the position to know and his generosity truly knew no bounds. He was always willing to help anyone at anytime, and made sure to bring some cheer to those who spent their holidays alone with a visit and a plate of food. Richard had a true love for all the beauty God granted us in this world. He had a tender heart for animals and loved to tend to his garden and blueberry orchard, and to share all the bounty of his land and work with his friends and family. More than anything else, he deeply loved the Lord and spreading the gospel around to many small, country churches as a "circuit rider."

Richard was preceded in death by his children, Rebekah Rouse and Brian Rouse; parents, Lamont & Florine Broadus Rouse; and siblings, Roderick "Roddie" Rouse and Donita Rouse Poothullil. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 46 years, Angela Moore Rouse; their children, Hope (Chad) Lurie and Andrea Rouse Brown; grandchildren, Khollon Brown, Aislynn Brown, Alina Brown, Klay Brown, Harrison (Mattie) Lurie, Ava Lurie, and Cainon Rouse; great-granddaughter, Evalynn Lurie; sisters, Fonda (Bert) Garriga and Rena (Lowery) Smith; and several nieces and nephews.

Active pallbearers will be Khollon Brown, Klay Brown, Cainon Rouse, Chad Lurie, Zane Garriga, Shannon Trussell, Lowery Smith Jr, and Evander Youngblood.