Randy Bannister

Hugh Randall “Randy” Bannister, Jr., 81, of Moultrie, passed away at Colquitt Regional Medical Center on Monday, July 21, 2025.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 pm on Friday, July 25, 2025, in the chapel of Baker Funeral Home with Reverend Julian Griner officiating.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at Baker Funeral Home.

Randy was raised in Coolidge, Georgia. His dad started buying hogs for Sunnyland and Randy began riding with his dad to auction sales at a very young age. When he got older, he would go to hog sales and buy hogs for his dad. His dad bought Moultrie Livestock in 1958. Randy started working there while in high school and continued buying livestock at other auction sales. The bookkeeper taught him to keep books by hand, no computers back then. He was very good at managing and always balanced the books to the penny.

He raced midgets in the neighborhood track. His first dirt track race was at Valdosta 75 Raceway, and he was 18. He raced cars on dirt tracks at Thunderbowl Speedway in Hahira, Valdosta 75, Patten Speedway, Waycross, and Albany Speedway. Felton Mercer and Pete Rowland built a car for him, and from then on, he was a winner.

All he wanted to do was race NASCAR, and he did. He ran the Baby Grand Series and Grand American. He raced at North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Daytona, Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington Hickory N.C. and many other NASCAR tracks. He quit racing and started flying airplanes. He was buying and selling them. He finally bought his favorite one, the Mooney. He then started riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. He was a very busy man.

He loved fishing. If a boat passed him, then here we go, he had to outrun the other boat.

He joined the Army Reserve and served for 6 years. He was Hoyt Holland’s Jeep driver when they were stationed at Camp Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They helped in the devastation of Hurricane Camille (1969) on the coast of Mississippi. And he was running the stockyard during this time. He was always racing something.

He was a county commissioner for 8 years, and helped with the building of the Colquitt County Courthouse Annex.

Randy was a strong supporter of Colquitt County FFA, 4H, and steer show.

Randy loved his pets. Moose, the dachshund, went to all of the NASCAR races with him. More recently, he never went anywhere without Sassie. He sold Moultrie Livestock in January 2020 and retired.

Randy was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh Randall Bannister, Sr. and Sarah Singletary Bannister.

He is survived by Louise Cooper Bannister, his wife of 58 years, his two children, daughter Cissie Bannister Burley (and husband Rob) and son Fireball Bannister, his five grandchildren, Robert Lee Burley of Gulfport, Mississippi, Madelyn Burley, Wesley Burley, Abby Bannister, and Emily Bannister - all of Moultrie, and great grandson, Gavin Burley of Gulfport, Mississippi. His brother, Chuck Bannister (and wife Carol Peacock Bannister) and several cousins.

Arrangements entrusted to Baker Funeral Home.