Kirby Gene Rakes, Sr.

Kirby G. Rakes, Sr., 86, of Colonial Heights, VA passed away Wednesday, October 30, 2024, in his home. Born January 13, 1938, he was the son of the late John Henry Rakes and Rebecca Willis Rakes. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Fonta Rakes and Cecil Rakes. Life wasn’t always easy for Kirby. He was born to a coal miner father and a floor sweeper mother. With such humble beginnings, he always had a heart for the downtrodden and those struggling with addictions. This led him to spend many years serving on the board of the Alamo Recovery Center in Petersburg. As a young man, Kirby was fascinated with booze, smokes, and a wild woman named Ruth. He was able to give up two of those vices and found that he could be a good quitter when he needed to be. Throughout the years he became fascinated with modes of transportation including planes, trains, automobiles, boats, and motorcycles. He owned and operated them all and was a proud member of the Wingnuts of Chesterfield Airport, as well as the Swift Creek Baptist Church. He was also quite an adventure seeker and had a great passion for travelling.  He served in the Army for one tour before using the GI Bill to attend Coyne Electric Institute in Chicago. After finishing his schooling, he returned to southwest Virginia, where he was unable to find a job. He then enlisted in the Air Force and served another two tours as a staff sergeant. After his time in the Air Force, he began working for a local factory but left for two reasons: traffic leaving the parking lot and the bell ringing for lunch time. He thought adults shouldn’t have to respond to chiming bells. At this point he decided to try self-employment. He worked as an electrical contractor for 32 years overall but had many other positions as well, including burying cables for a phone company, running a small appliance repair business, and many other ventures. Kirby is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Ruth M. Rakes; children, Kirby G. Rakes, Jr. (Jamie) and Becky Lowe; grandchildren, Zachary Rakes (Carrissa), Riley Rakes (Sydney), Griffin Rakes, Chrissy Lowe (Max Hedouin), and Mandy Pilk (Pat); and great-grandchildren, Ben Rakes, Natalie Rakes, Luke Pilk, Sam Pilk, and Stella Hedouin.  A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Colonial Heights Chapel of the E. Alvin Small Funeral Homes and Crematory, 2033 Boulevard, Colonial Heights, VA 23834. Interment will be Private. The family will receive friends, immediately following the services at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, https://t2t.org.