James Parker Dail, Sr.
James, or “Jim” as he was known by his family and friends, was the son of Kirby Dail and Lucy Outlaw Dail. Kirby Dail was the sheriff in Duplin County, and as was the custom, the sheriff lived with his family at the courthouse. James and his brother, Joe, were born at the jail in Magnolia, North Carolina.
When his father died, the family moved to Kinston, NC, where James attended school, served in the National Guard and worked for DuPont for a number of years. He also worked with Riley Stoker Corporation out of Worcester, MA in power engineering, lived in St. Louis, MO, and traveled throughout the United States starting up power plants. In 1987, James retired and moved back to North Carolina.
Years earlier, James had acquired a General Contractor’s license and instead of retiring, became very active building houses in eastern North Carolina until 1998. He spent his later years in Rocky Mount where he enjoyed cooking, gardening, beekeeping, and caring for his special pet chihuahua, “Pepper”.
For years, James spent many weekends and vacations in Emerald Isle and along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. Some of his most enjoyable moments were spent fishing along the inland waterway and the offshore water of Bogue Banks. You could see the enjoyment and a touch of mischief in his eyes, as he would keep us entertained for hours telling his “fish” stories and his travel experiences. He leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Mary Sawyer Dail, children, James P. Dail, Jr., Jeffrey Glenn Dail, Jolanda Dail Lanier, Lisa Dail and stepson, Wayne Harrell, Jr., 9 grandchildren, 1 great-granddaughter plus a host of extended family and friends. What an honor it was, being a part of his life and a blessing to know someone else can now see life through his eyes.
Donald Darnell
Donald Darnell was a very kind and loving man. He went blind at the age of 35 because of RP. He was married and had 6 children – it was very difficult at times. His wife passed away 15 years ago and he was left alone to learn how to make it on his own. He adapted very well – he lived independently for 15 years. He was full of jokes and laughter and loved to compliment the ladies. He called that the “Darnell Charm”. He had many hobbies - talking on the CB radio was one of his longest hobbies. His CB handle was “JYD”. He also had a major love of music from the great oldies to new country. We had never discussed organ donation but we know that he would have wanted to donate his eyes to try to help others with RP. He will truly be missed but his spirit lives on with all of us.
Glenn Edward Davis
November 10, 1960 – August 9, 2004
Glenn was born and raised in Asheboro, NC. He had Muscular Dystrophy and had been unable to walk for the last 14 years of his life. But that didn’t slow him down. He was outgoing, active and loving. By far his favorite thing was talking with people. Although he would have said his favorite thing was music. Listening, singing, mixing, playing, he loved it all and had a real good ear for it.
He had an attention to detail missed by most people, he saw things other people didn’t notice. And he saw everything. He would be very happy to know that someone has been helped by his donation.
Right after his stroke, his hazel-green eyes turned a dazzling blue. You hear about people’s hair turning white after a shock of some kind, but his eyes turned blue! At the age of 43. On August 9th, 2004, a few days after his stroke, Glenn left this world. To quote one of his favorite songs, “Now he’s somewhere in Gloryland”.
A Tribute to Glenn Davis – as seen through the eyes of his mother-in-law:
Glenn has been a part of our family for almost 17 years. He had a zest for living that was beyond most people we knew. He loved everyone he met and he wanted them to love him.
Glenn and Angie kept the roads hot going here and there. I always told him that “Go” was his middle name. But I realized that Glenn was working on a timetable that was shorter than ours. He wanted to make every minute count because he suspected that his life would not be as long as most of ours would be.
He was always wanting to give something special to us as his in-laws, even though he couldn’t afford to give. But he did it anyway. That was just the way it was.
Going to church was a highlight in his life and picking with his preacher, calling him a “Redneck Preacher”. Glenn loved the Lord and his preacher and he was ready to meet his maker. Glenn loved to sing at church with our “family” group N’Joy, and he loved to work with crafts at Bible school. Glenn and Angie would always stay the night with me when the “Relay for Life” event took place every year. There was very little he missed.
Up until the last few months he loved to go to work, where of course he would see people, which was one of his favorite things. I believe he truly loved Angie and she loved him. Together they made the most of every minute they had.
He will be greatly missed in our family and I hope we will ALL see him in Heaven some day, walking around on those Streets of Gold. Free as any angel could be. No more confinement!
Luci Amanda DeSoto
December 17, 1982 – September 21, 2004
My daughter, Luci Amanda DeSoto, was born on Friday, December 17, 1982, with big, beautiful blue eyes. As she grew older, her eyes did not change colors as lots of people told us they would because both myself and her father have dark brown eyes. You could always tell when she was happy because they would become a dark blueberry blue and would twinkle, but when she was upset or angry they became a stormy gray-blue.
She was always called “Mandy” and was a very bright and intelligent child. In the 6th grade she was inducted into the National Honor Roll Society and some of her teachers would have her teaching other students who were not so gifted because she had a way of explaining so others could understand what was going on, especially in math. Mandy loved to watch all sports – basketball, baseball, football, soccer. She also loved music and played the flute in the middle school band.
She was an employee of Big Lots in Selma, NC for 3 1/2 years and was planning to enroll to earn a degree in computer engineering. At work she was known for her laughter and pranks. She never forgot a birthday, an anniversary or other holiday. I, her mother, was her “kemosabi” and she was mine.
Dear friends, I know not who received her eye donation, but I honestly hope and pray they help you see forever and that you appreciate someone so young wanting to be a donor. Please encourage others to do the same.
Cynthia A. DisherNovember 30, 1955 – September 11, 2004
Mama was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She never met a stranger or turned her back on the ones she loved. Everybody who knew her, loved her and knew that she loved them no matter what.
She was a strong woman with a strong spirit. Anybody that knew her is a better person for having known her. She was unlike anybody else I have ever known and there’s no way to explain the wonderful person that she was. I can only express how deeply she is missed and how very much she will always be loved.
Shelton R. Dixon
When Shelton Dixon of Winterville, NC put the “for sale” sign on the windshield of his daughter’s old car, he knew it wouldn’t fetch a lot of money, but he also knew it would provide cheap, reliable transportation for someone in need of just that. A few days later, a lady with faded clothes asked him if she could pay half of the $400 price, and return with the balance in two weeks. She explained that she was raising her two grandchildren and did not have a car.
Dixon assured her he would hold the car, and two weeks later she returned with two more hundred dollar bills. As he reminded her again to check the oil every week, he pressed one of the bills back in the hand of the surprised grandmother. He told her she would need a tank of gas, then turned and walked away.
Shelton “Boogie” Dixon died suddenly at home on September 2, 2004. Many of the thousand people who overflowed the small country church where he served as Elder and choir member had similar stories to tell.
An avid sportsman, Dixon was president of the Cape Lookout Mobile Sportfishermen Association at the time of his death. His favorite annual event, which he personally organized and directed, was the fishing weekend on Portsmouth Island for the children of the Oxford orphanage. Thirty days after his death, the Board of the CLMS announced the renaming of that event to the “Shelton Dixon Take-A-Kid Fishing Weekend”.
Shortly thereafter Boogie’s family received the news that his generosity had provided the gift of sight to two recipients. A family friend commented “Shelton just keeps on giving, even from beyond.”
Dixon was 53 years old and had just begun his 33rd year of employment with Pitt County Memorial Hospital when he departed our world.
The grandmother who bought the old car never knew that at the time he was working a second job to pay his daughter’s college expenses.
Michael Doby
Michael and I were married for ten wonderful years. He was a warm, loving and compassionate man. Six years ago we were blessed with triplet sons. He was so proud the day they were born. Their birthday was two days before their daddy died.
Michael loved farming. He lived and worked on the Kimel farm for twenty years before we were married. Michael loved to sit with his little boys in his lap and look at tractor magazines all the time. He liked to take them for rides on his John Deere and Farmall tractors. The boys miss those times with their dad.
Michael came from a large family of two brothers and three sisters. Michael was the last of his siblings to get married. He was thirty-five years old when we got married. That was the happiest day of both our lives.
At the time of his death Michael drove a concrete truck. He always loved working outside and enjoyed all the people he met on the job site. He never met a stranger. Michael was well liked by so many people.
When Michael was diagnosed with cancer he never gave up. He was so courageous and prayed for healing. Up until the end, Michael knew he would be healed. If not here on earth, then certainly he knew that he would be healed in heaven. Michael was a true inspiration to so many people. On the day before he died, he awoke from a deep sleep (we thought he had taken his last breath). He was so alert and told us how he had no pain and he felt like he could get up and walk. He had been on crutches since December. He kept praising God over and over again. He was so hungry and ate like he was starved. He was so at peace and told us death was not what he had thought it would be. He was not afraid. We truly know that he had been on the other side and had seen a glimpse of heaven. Later that morning he said he was tired and was ready to go. He said his goodbyes to everyone and slipped off into another sleep for the last time.
We loved Michael very much and dearly miss him. His memory will never fade. I feel blessed to have been a part of his life and his love will forever live in our hearts. Michael would have been pleased to know that his eyes gave someone else the gift of sight!
Timothy Shane Donovant
Brother of Rebecca Irene Fields Easterling.
Timothy was born on October 27, 1985. His sister Becki named him. He was killed in a car wreck on June 10, 2004. Timothy loved life and everything about life especially spending time with his family.
Timothy loved to spend time outdoors fishing, hunting, playing basketball and spending time with our dogs. Timothy also loved to take things apart just to see what made them work. He had a heart of gold and loved everyone he came in contact with. If someone was hurting, he would hurt for them. His smile would light up the room when he entered it and his eyes were so full of joy, love and compassion. My most special memory of him was right before he died. Timothy and his girlfriend were restoring a ’69 Chevy truck and they were taking parts off to have them fixed. They would put the parts in a trailer and move them with the riding mower across the yard. They got the mower stuck in the yard and his girlfriend would jump up and down on the trailer to get it to move. The way they were going about it reminded me of the Green Acres show.
Timothy was so full of life and was always on the go. I can’t remember a time other than when he was sleeping that he was still. I am so thankful that God gave me Timothy as my child and I thank God for every day that we had together and for every memory I have of him, which I will cherish for the rest of my life.
From his Aunt Cindi:
Timmy was always such a humble, quiet little man. He had the most giving spirit of anyone I’ve ever met. He hated for anyone to do without and like his sister, he had to share his life with you and include you in his excitement. Being the only boy of the family he got looked over a lot because the girls always kept us hopping, but he was content to let them shine and just be part of their lives. Timmy’s personality was a constant reminder that unless you become as a small child, you will in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven. He was so playful, loving and forgiving. His eyes radiated the love of God in a quiet and simple way.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. – Matthew 5:8
