Colby T. Rawlings

Colby T. Rawlings and Willa Rae Rawlings slipped the "surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God" on Friday, November 29, 2019.  Colby was 5 years old and Willa was 6.  Willa was born on April 4, 2013, and Colby was born October 3, 2014, in Show Low, Arizona to their parents, Daniel and Lacey (Sherwood) Rawlings.

For a 6 year-old child, Willa was an extremely confident little girl.  She was the best "hugger" ever and greeted both her large family and her friends with a really tight embrace.  Everyone loved her squeezes.  Throughout her life she loved to dance and, for the past 2 years, she was able to take dance lessons and made friends easily at her dance academy.  Willa was naturally athletic and, when she was five, she started playing T-Ball. She always had a blast on the field and was just a competitive little kid!  At school, Willa was a brilliant student.  She excelled in all of her school subjects.  Making friends wherever she was, Willa was well-liked by everyone.  With her uplifting personality, she was ALWAYS "the life of the party."  She loved "Unicorns" and magenta was her favorite color.  Her life was beautiful, in every way.   

Colby was the epitome of what a little boy is.  Unless he was eating or sleeping, he was almost "never inside."  He was as fearless as they come and wasn't afraid of anything.  Colby loved his Pepsi and would eat just about anything put on his plate.  When he was 3, he started playing T-Ball and was a great little athlete.  He even loved wrestling; whether it was with his dad, brother, friends or simply watching it on t.v., he got really involved!  He was academically gifted and when he started pre-school, he was already starting to read.  Colby loved all things B-A-S-E-B-A-L-L.  A rough and tumble kind of a boy, if ever he was hurt during his adventures, it didn't faze him.  He just kept on "rough and tumbling" on his way. His favorite color was blue and he loved Lightning McQueen.  Though, this little boy was a tough one,  he was a true Mama's boy.

Both Colby and Willa loved going to church with their family.  They always looked forward to seeing their Primary friends there and catching up where they left off the week before.  With their family, Willa and Colby loved getting to go visit their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins for big family outings.  They always looked forward to going to the lake.  They knew how to camp just as good as the big people in their lives and rarely, if ever, complained.  These two kids were some of the most adventurous on the planet.  When Willa was 3 and Colby was 2, they started snowboarding and got the hang of it almost immediately and loved it!  If it was outside, they had always had a blast.  They were 18 months apart in age but, when Colby was born, he and Willa became inseparable.  They truly were each other's best friend.  They were and, are, loved by all.

The Rawlings family want to share that though, everyday, they will miss their babies, they rejoice in knowing that, "Families Are Forever."  They know that Colby and Willa have a "pure, sure love and a perfect knowledge of the Savior" and, that their precious babies have been received by His warm and gentle embrace.              

Willa and Colby are survived by:  their parents, Daniel and Lacey Rawlings; their brother, Dallan Rawlings; their sister, Nelly Rawlings; their paternal grandparents:  Bill and Trudy Rawlings; their maternal grandmother, Judy Sherwood; their maternal grandfather, Dan Sherwood; many aunts, uncles and cousins.  As their sweet little cousin, Austin Rawlings, joined them as they passed from this life to the next, they were also preceded in death by their uncle, Barton Sherwood.  

A public visitation will be from 8:30 A.M. to 9:45 A.M., on Friday, December 13, 2019, at the Pinetop/Lakeside Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 1520 N. Church Lane in Lakeside, Arizona.  The funeral service will immediately follow at 10:00 A.M. at the Stake Center.  All close family members and friends are invited to gather at the Pinetop/Lakeside Stake center for the funeral service. OVERFLOW SEATING, for the funeral, will be at the Show Stake Center, 1401 W. Deuce of Clubs in Show Low, Arizona, where a live-streaming of the funeral proceedings will be broadcast to allow for the large crowds that are expected to attend.  Please plan your proper attendance accordingly.  The graveside service and interment will be a PRIVATE FAMILY service and request that only members of the Rawlings and Sherwood families attend the service at the cemetery.

The Rawlings family continues to be thankful for the many expressions of sympathy they have received during this most difficult of times and are especially grateful for all of the prayers offered up on their behalf. They truly feel your love.