Rarzell Grubbs

Rarzell Grubbs was a cherished man, well beloved by al who knew him. He was a gentle person, kindhearted, who kept mostly to himself. His family affectionately called him “Roz”. After an extended illness, he departed this life on September 10, 2024. He was born to the late Sidney Grubbs and Stella Potter Grubbs on March 5, 1946, in Balkum, Alabama.

Rarzell was the seventh child of eight children born to the proud parents. After their decision to abandon sharecropping in Henry county in 1955, the family moved to Dothan, Alabama. There, Rarezell began his early childhood education at East highland Elementary School and Stringer Street School. During his youth, Rarzell attended music school and singing school. After graduation from Carver High School in 1969, he moved to Newark, New Jersey and began a career at Morrisview Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey.

He joined the Sardis Missionary Baptist Church in Headland, Alabama at an early age, where he sang in the choir. His favorite song to sing was “Swing Down Street Chariot, Stop and Let Me Ride”, in which he carried the bass part very well. Rarzell was a faithful member of the church until he moved North.

He was always a hard working man and was very dedicated to his work. Rarzell worked diligently for 30 years. He learned to use the Newark, NJ transit system to travel to and from work. Relaying on the city buses and subway trains, Rarzell also made his way to many other areas of the city to shop and visit family members. Every year he saved all of his annual vacation time to come home to Alabama and spend those weeks with family. He would stay a few days and nights at each of his sibling’s homes. While there, he enjoyed sharing time with his nieces and nephews and would tell stories of the big city life to them.

In 2001, he retired from work at the hospital and returned back home to Alabama. Rarzell resided in Dothan where he spent his golden years watching his favorite ol’ School tv shows and weekly  shopping trips to the mall and Walmart. After shopping, he routinely treated himself to lunches and dinners at Ryan’s and Golden Corral restaurants, where even the managers and servers looked forward to seeing him and welcomed him with bigh smiles. They lovingly called him “Raj”.

Rarzell leaves to mourn two sisters: Mable (Elder Joel) Coleman and Glenda (Willie) Davis. As well as a niece who was raised like a sister with him” Linda (Wilson) Scott, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends.

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