Waverly Hall, GA - Rufus Carson Stringfellow, 65, of Waverly Hall, GA died Sunday, January 15, 2012.    

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, January 19, 2012 at Waverly Hall United Methodist Church with Rev. Scott Hagan officiating. Interment will follow in Oakhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at McMullen Funeral Home, 3874 Gentian Blvd., Columbus, GA.

Mr. Stringfellow was born June 10, 1946 in Juniper, GA and was the son of Juanita Nail Stringfellow and Rufus Cephus Stringfellow of Talbotton, GA.
He received his Bachelor of Biology and his Masters of Environmental Science from Columbus State University. He was an Assistant Professor of Biology and a member of Pre-Engineering Advisory Committee at Columbus State University. His area of special interest and expertise was Southeastern United States freshwater mussel identification and ecology.

He was a member of Beta Beta Beta, Mu Omicron Chapter; Phi Beta Delta, Delta Nu Chapter; Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society and Association of Southeastern Biologist. He received the following special awards: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director's Award on July 19, 2004 and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Georgia Ecological Services Volunteer Award on April 29, 2004 and he participated in numerous professional activities.

He truly loved to travel and participated and taught several international field-based classes in the countries of Australia, China, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Africa. He was a recognized expert in both the identification and surveying of Southeastern Mussels and imperiled group of invertebrates. He organized annual mussel workshops for government personnel and consultants about that group of organisms.

He is survived by his parents, wife Marie Stringfellow of Waverly Hall, GA; daughters, Joy Grenier (Beau) of Birmingham, AL and Brooke Stringfellow of Columbus, GA; son, Andrew Houston (Melanie) of Ellerslie, GA; sisters, Jane Smith (Charles) of Columbus, GA, Rebecca Wolfe of Columbus, GA, Janet Fowler (Scott) of Manchester, GA and Charlene Baker (Jimmy) of Hamilton, GA; brother, Terry Stringfellow (Becky) of Columbus, GA; four grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Stringfellow loved his family and cared for his colleagues at Columbus State University and the many students he taught over the years. Mr. Stringfellow was a long-time member of the Waverly Hall United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Columbus State University 4225 University Ave. Columbus, GA 31907.

Those who wish may sign the online guest registry at www.mcmullenfuneralhome.com <http://www.mcmullenfuneralhome.com>.