Diane Adcock
I met Diane when I was 18 years old and fresh out of high school. She was working at a local pharmacy, for college tuition, and there was something about her smile and the way she spoke that made me want to see more of her. As I got to know her I found that she was a strong individual who had some clear ideas about how things should be. I think that it was what most attracted me to her.
While we were dating, Diane was diagnosed as a bipolar manic-depressive. She had to drop out of college but she told me she wouldn’t let this disease get her down. She went right out, found a job and started building a life for herself. A person with that kind of spirit you just can’t let go.
We were married in 1983 and started our life together. Due to her illness she found herself hospitalized many times. But each time she had a setback she would bounce right back and keep pushing on.
During the next five years she worked many temporary jobs. It was through one of these temp jobs that she was hired by Moses Cone Hospital. She held that job for over five years, working in their payroll department. All of the people that she came in contact with there said that she was the best person in payroll to deal with a problem
We bought a home in 1992 and thought things were settling down, when Diane was diagnosed with end stage renal failure. For the next six years she dealt with the agony of dialysis in one form or another. Many times she would have to be hospitalized for an infection. It is amazing to me that she was able to hold it together and not let it get the best of her.
The happiest day was when she got that phone call asking if she still wanted a kidney transplant. I don’t think you could have held her down she was so happy.
Every day she was so very thankful for that gift, a gift that someone else had to die to make. The transplant lasted for six and a half years before Diane passed away in September 2005.
She made sure if anything happened to her that whatever organs could be used should be used. Diane wanted to pass along those feelings of happiness and joy that a transplant recipient feels upon being told the good news. When I got the letter saying that they were able to use Diane’s corneas, and that two people were now able to see, I felt the tears of joy.
That was the kind of person Diane was. For her family and myself, we shall always treasure the memories of her courage, strength and sacrifice. I’m glad I had the chance to know Diane and share in her life.
Michael S. Adcock
George Clinton Anderson
On behalf of my husband, I wish to thank you for asking me for a short memory of my husband, Mr. George Clinton Anderson. His sudden passing was a shock and a great loss. I believe his greatest gift was to give to someone that can utilize the gift of eyesight – he was always a giving person.
George Clinton Anderson was a graduate of Southside High School in Dinwiddie, Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy from January 3, 1962 until November 22, 1969. After service he moved to New York, where he met his wife and got married. George worked for the U.S. Postal Service. He made a career change and went to United Airlines at JFK Airport in New York, from which he retired. When he moved to North Carolina he decided to find a part-time job to give him something to do. He landed a job at Piedmont International Airport in Greensboro, NC, and a part-time job as a security guard at Guilford Security Co. In his leisure time, George loved playing baseball – and being a Yankees fan, it was a thrill – basketball, football – he got involved with the New York Giants - and being able to travel to different places, such as Cairo, Egypt, Amman, Jordan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Hawaii on different cruise lines. It was a great inspiration for him to be able to travel whenever he wanted to. He loved betting on the horses at Aqueduct racetrack, and gambling at Atlantic City and Las Vegas casinos. George was a sweet loving person to be around – he had a big heart. He would always give from his heart if it were his last.
James Travis Anderson
Travis loved life and seized every opportunity to enjoy it to the fullest. He seldom met a stranger because that person was just a friend he hadn’t yet made. With a wide mischievous grin he was quick with a joke or a funny story. One of his many friends described him as just one of those guys who could light up a room when he walked in.
Three of the most important things to Travis were God, his family, and the outdoors.
In the early part of his life Travis fought many demons, but with the help of a higher power he was able to overcome them. God guided his life and molded him into the kind, generous man many came to know and love. God remained a part of his life and he is safe in God’s hands now.
Family was important to Travis and he loved them all deeply. He was a kind, faithful, and loving husband. He honored his mother, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. He cherished his daughters and he was proud of his grandsons and of his nieces and nephews. Although Travis was not a boastful man, he never missed an opportunity to tell others how great his family was.
From his boyhood, Travis loved the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed fishing as well. A day seldom passed that he didn’t ride into the mountains surrounding his home to watch for deer, rabbits, raccoons, birds, and other wildlife. He always returned with a happy, flushed face and sparkling eyes to give a report of all he had seen. Travis also felt an obligation to help the animals and he carried countless bags of corn and other food to help them make it through the winter months.
I believe Travis felt closest to God in a cathedral of green under an open sky. He saw God’s touch in all of nature and that is where he chose to worship Him.
They say life goes on, but it will never be the same for those who knew and loved Travis. His friends will miss his sense of humor and laughter. His business associates will miss his steady, honest presence and ability to get a job done. His family will forever have a great big hole in their lives and in their hearts. Travis left us suddenly and unexpectedly – so many things left unsaid and undone. Hopefully he knew how much he was loved and respected.
One of the last acts of his life was reading a book of jokes he had received as a Christmas present. Can you hear the sound of angels’ laughter?
Leonard Elbridge Anderson
February 6, 1939 – November 9, 2005
Leonard Elbridge Anderson was born in Halifax County on February 6, 1939. He lived his entire life in Enfield, where he married and became the father of two daughters and one son. He attended elementary and high school at Enfield Graded School where he graduated in 1957. After high school, he attended Campbell College, a two-year college at that time. He joined the North Carolina National Guard after college and remained a member for eight years. On April 21, 1962, he married his childhood sweetheart, Julia Ann Hardee. They were married for forty-three years at the time of his death.
In 1963, he became the father of Sabre Perkins Anderson; in 1967, Hannah Louise Anderson was born; and in 1973, his son Leonard Elbridge Anderson, Jr. was born. His children were the apple of his eye and he was so proud of them. A favorite pastime of his was dancing with his children to the rock and roll tunes of the sixties.
Family was very important to Leonard and the highlight of his life was the birth of six grandchildren. He spoke of them often and always looked forward to their visits. His grandchildren were Joseph Crawley Robinson, William Jobe Robinson, Anders Louise Robinson, Brantley Leonard Anderson, Isaac Reese Anderson and Raymond Cole Anderson.
Leonard spent many years as a farm implement dealer at Anderson Tractor and Implement Company, a business founded by his father. His later years were spent working for the North Carolina Department of Corrections. During his leisure time, he loved to play golf and go fishing. After retirement, he became an avid gardener, furnishing many friends and neighbors with the products of his labors. He was always willing to volunteer his services and often he could be found cooking chickens for the fire department and his church.
He was a retired member of the Enfield Volunteer Fire Department, a member of Fishing Creek Wildlife Club, Currituck Fishing Club, Halifax Masonic Lodge and Enfield United Methodist Church.
William David Askew
William David Askew (David) was a person who left a lasting impression upon those he met. David had a big heart and a good sense of humor. He cared deeply for his friends and had a passion for travel. At the age of fifteen he was an exchange student to Japan and had previously hosted Japanese exchange students prior to traveling to Japan. Then at the age of eighteen he traveled to Bolivia to work on a farm.
Other interests were wrestling, football, golf, video games and cooking. His favorite sports teams were the East Carolina Pirates and the Indianapolis Colts. He was also famous for his barbecue pork ribs and his hot and spicy foods. During the summers he enjoyed growing an assortment of hot chili peppers, i.e., Thai, habaneros, and jalapenos. The hotter they were the better. He and his mother enjoyed canning and freezing fresh vegetables and pickling cucumbers during the summer.
David was loved by his family and friends because he was a gentle, caring and loving person. He loved his God and was willing to witness to others if he felt the need. He wanted to be an organ donor and his family supported his decision. He will always remain in our hearts and will be remembered for willingly giving to others his precious organs so they could have a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
