James Rex Dorrill

ARGUTA COMMUNITY…Mr. James Rex Dorrill, a resident of the Arguta Community, near Ozark, died early Saturday evening, October 3, 2026, at his home. He was 90.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in the Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Jason Waddell officiating. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Dorrill, son of the late George Bean Dorrill and Ethel Lee Mobley Dorrill, was a native of Pike County, where his roots ran deep and where many of the memories shaped his life. He was a 1954 graduate of Pike County High School, where he was active in athletics and played both basketball and baseball. Baseball, however, became much more than just a high school pastime for Mr. Dorrill. Following graduation, he continued playing the game he loved as a semi-professional baseball player in our area. Throughout his life, he was an avid Atlanta Braves and a University of Alabama Football fan.

As the years passed, Mr. Dorrill found another way to stay involved with baseball by coaching Pony League Baseball for the City of Ozark. Coaching gave him an opportunity to pass along his knowledge and love of the game to young players. For him, it wasn't always just about winning or losing. It was about teaching young people how to play the game, encouraging them to do their best, and watching them grow along the way.

Mr. Dorrill also believed in working hard and learning all he could. In later years, he graduated from the Alabama Aviation and Technical College in Ozark. He had a long and dedicated career at Fort Rucker, retiring after forty years of employment. During those many years, he worked with several contractors, including Hayes Aircraft, Sikorsky, Bell, and finally DynCorp, from which he retired. Forty years on the job speaks volumes about the kind of man he was. He knew the importance of showing up, doing his part, and giving an honest day's work.

Even away from work, Mr. Dorrill was rarely one to sit around with nothing to do. He enjoyed farming and working on vehicles and seemed happiest when there was something that needed fixing, tending, or figuring out.

But if there was one pastime that held an especially important place in his heart, it was fishing. Above all his other hobbies, Mr. Dorrill loved to fish. There was something about being near the water, waiting patiently for a bite, and enjoying the peace and quiet that made fishing special to him. A good day of fishing didn't necessarily have to mean bringing home a big catch. Sometimes the best part was simply being outdoors, enjoying the day, telling a story or two, and leaving the worries of the world behind for a little while.

Mr. Dorrill was a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in Arguta. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Melanie Dorrill; and his great-grandson, Michael Dewayne King; and all of his siblings.

Surviving relatives include his wife of sixty-eight years, Vivian Danner Dorrill; three sons, Daniel Dorrill, George Dorrill (Joanie), all of Arguta Community and Allen Dorrill (Audrey), Ozark; grandchildren, Johnathan Paul Dorrill, Nikkie Dorrill, Melissa Dorrill, and Ricky King; nieces and nephews.