Rickey Wayne “Mortaki” McCollum, age 69, passed away on January 2, 2026. He was born on January 30, 1956, to the late Earsie and Cat McCollum.
Rick, lovingly known by many as “Mortaki,” or “Granddeddy Long Legs” will be remembered as a devoted husband, deddy, granddeddy, uncle, and brother. He cherished his family deeply and was especially proud of the generations who follow him. He loved to say he was “a jack of all trades and a master of none,” but anyone who knew him knew he could do just about anything he set his mind to. Whether welding, driving a truck, tinkering, or figuring out how to fix something that “couldn’t be fixed,” he did it with a heart devoted to Jesus.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Kathy Maloy “Granny Kat” McCollum; children, Jonathan (Tonya) Sims, Rachael McCollum, and Matthew McCollum; grandchildren, Alexis (Dustin) Goodwin, Gage (Lexi) Dixon, Sawyer Sims, Olivia McCollum, and Sam D. Teal; and great-grandchildren, NoraLynn Goodwin, Nyssa Goodwin, and Loretta Sims; brother, Ken (Joan) McCollum, and a special brother, Johnny (Tammy) McCollum; host of nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his sisters, Virginia Faye Shirley, Evelyn Collins, Mary Lee Harrell, and Mildred Pendergrass; as well as his granddaughter, Anastasia Collie.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, from 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Adams Brown Service Funeral Home. Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Adams Brown Service Funeral Home, with Pastor Keith Hodges officiating. Burial will follow at High Point Cemetery in Albertville, Alabama. Pallbearers will be Jonathan Sims, Sawyer Sims, Richard Varner, Brandon McCollum, Skip Geddes, Gage Dixon, and Sam D. Teal.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Adams Brown Service Funeral Home to assist with funeral expenses.
Adams Brown Service Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
