Robert Earl Quincy, Jr.
My dad worked for the State of North Carolina with the Department of Mental Health for 37 years. He was married to Jane Clemmons Quincy for 44 years and had one daughter. My dad loved his family very much. He especially loved spending time with his granddaughter Savanna. He could do anything she wanted; even going through chemo and being sick with his cancer, he always made time to go outside and play with her. He was always someone you could count on no matter what. He loved going to the beach and eating at his favorite seafood restaurants and taking pictures of his family and friends. He was known as “Kodak Man.” He will be missed by so many people as everyone who met him instantly liked him. He was someone who made a friend everywhere he went. He loved to joke and make people laugh. He was the perfect husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother and friend, and we are all better for knowing him.
Medy Rackley
We know that our loved one would be so honored to contribute the gift of sight to someone. He was always helping others, whether it be a kind word or a tow out of a ditch for a stranger. He was the type of man that helped anyone in need. He was a man of great integrity and has passed on many words of wisdom and many great memories. Ricky is survived by a loving wife, two daughters and five grandchildren whom he loved dearly. He was a man who loved nature, horseback riding, woodcarving and most importantly, he loved the Lord with all of his heart. He lived his life every day striving to be more like Jesus Christ and everyone he encountered knew that! Every chance he got, he demonstrated the love of Christ and was a witness to all who knew him. By Ricky being able to give the gift of sight after his passing proves the love Jesus has for us all. There are so many great things that could be said about this man called husband, daddy, pa-pa, friend, but the greatest thing we could think of to say is thank you for the legacy of love and compassion he has left behind to those who knew and loved him.
James Wayne Reavis
November 29, 1935 – June 1, 2007
J. Wayne, as he was known most of his adult life, was a kind, loving and giving man. He truly cared for others. He married Bobbie Jean Miller on November 21, 1956, and they had one daughter, Deborah D. Reavis and a son-in-law, Todd Johnson. At the time of his death he had three grandchildren, Aaron, Emilee and Andrews, with a fourth child to be born around his birthday this year. Her name will be Jaymee Eden. He was born to Vaughn and Vallie Reavis and has one brother, Gene Reavis. Wayne took life as you should, by accepting the things you can’t change and changing things for the better if at all possible. He believed in God and family as the basis for everyday living. He truly treated others as he wanted to be treated.
During his illness his friends and family were there for him. During the nine months there was only one day that he did not have visitors. The men from our church, Mountain Valley Baptist, were especially kind and loving. Most days three to four men came to see him and he loved to talk with them. He was the church Sunday School Director for most of his adult life, deacon, teacher and had many other capacities in the church. One thing most of the members tell me is that they miss his handshakes and smile. He touched many lives.
He worked for the US Department of Agriculture for over 30 years, and during this time he got to know people all across North Carolina. These co-workers all tell me he was a good, honest man. He did his job diligently and expected others to do the same. He served on many boards and was a former trustee of Baptist Children’s Home of North Carolina.
His favorite thing to do upon retirement in his 50’s was to work in the yard and garden. He always said he felt closest to heaven in his garden. He loved to raise lots of vegetables, get on his golf cart and give them to his neighbors and friends.
One of the funniest things I remember was that the Seniors from our church would plan an outing. The pastor and he would read up on wherever we were going, then as we traveled, one man in particular always knew a lot about an area. Wayne and the pastor would just talk about something in the area like a river. They would say, “Did you read about the article that this river’s name has been changed to such and such?” Of course that would start a great discussion. They would never admit they were joking. A lot of laughs would occur. In Tennessee where there is no state tax, he would encourage the men who were not spenders to buy something and he would pay the tax. This always got a lot of laughs from the others.
He did something that most grandfathers would not have done. He kept his grandchildren from baby stage till school age. He would just load up the children and off he would go. He said that he felt privileged to have spent this much time with his grandchildren.
I am especially proud of my husband. He was loving and the kind of man that a husband ought to be. He never forgot a holiday of any kind in the 50 years we were married. Even this past May, during his illness, he and Clarence (one of his friends) went shopping for a card and roses for me. He even purchased me a birthday card for this October. He was my inspiration, best friend and husband. Wayne loved the Lord and his family. They were first in his life. If one word could describe him, it would be faithful!
May Rego
May – wife, mother, grandmother. She loved the outdoors, especially springtime, when all the flowers were in bloom. She loved gardening in her flower bed, putting out seed for the birds and food for the humming birds. She enjoyed taking vacations to the mountains, beach or anywhere with beautiful scenery. Her favorite pastimes were to sit and do crosswords. She also loved to cook and try new recipes. She collected all kinds of ducks – wooden, glass, etc.
She was the most wonderful person in the whole world and helped everyone she met. You will be in our hearts forever.
Bertha C. Richardson
October 5, 1950 – September 19, 2007
Bertha “Carlene” Richardson was a beautiful and loving mother, sister and daughter. Through all of life’s difficulties, she was best known for the constant smile she had on her face for those she loved and for those she didn’t know. My mother’s beautiful smile, sweet spirit and most amazing hazel eyes are what we will continue to remember and cherish.
Life threw many challenges her way, but she persevered and overcame those odds with amazing pride. I listened to those with whom she worked praise her dedication of never missing a day from work even though she was ill and confined to a chair. I listened to cousins remember how she would scoop them up and take care of them. It was never a doubt that she was her mother’s most precious little girl and best friend. And my brother and I will always cherish how she loved, nurtured and provided for her “twins” even when she had to climb this journey alone.
Mom, you are my hero and my inspiration to make it through anything. And with this precious donor gift to someone in need, I know you have met your most honorable goal in life: “It is not what you take from life, but what you have given back to life.”
We love you and miss you, but know that everything is alright now. You are with your father and sister now, and it is that belief that will help see us through. Daddy and his girls are together again and we know that we will see you all again in that day.
With All Our Love,
Mama, Antionette, Anthony, Willie and Donnie
Susan Ricks
Paul Thomas Rivet
October 14, 1955 – September 15, 2007
Paul was born on October 14, 1955 to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rivet in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. He later moved to Sanford, North Carolina. He had one brother, one sister, one nephew, and two nieces.
My brother Paul never married, and when he became sick with cancer, he came to live with my family. I am glad I was able to spend those last couple of months with him.
He loved NASCAR racing, old muscle cars, and motorcycles. He also enjoyed cooking and watching the cooking channels on T.V. Paul never had a lot of worldly possessions, but if you needed what he did have, he was more than happy to give it to you. That’s why when he passed away and I received a call from the Eye Bank, I was glad that the last thing he could do was to help someone else. I was thrilled to find out, and know that he would be too, that because of his donation, two people were given sight.
We love and miss you.
Pat O’Quinn (sister)
William L. Rollins
March 7, 1933 – December 21, 2007
A doting father and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family.
Charles Rose
Charles is the last born of seven children. He filled our lives with wonder and touched our hearts with wonder and surprise. We always saw something special in his large dark eyes, and through good times and bad we always remembered the love and closeness a younger child brought into the home.
The day Charles became a donor and made it possible for someone else to see will help him to live on through others. We hope Charles’ concern for the sight of others will inspire others to do likewise. I am proud of my baby brother.
Sis
Kenneth Rothrock
Ken Rothrock was a man with a heart of service. He was a handy man and loved helping others. As a Christian, his heart of service took him on several mission trips with our church family.
He loved spending time with our family – our two children, their spouses and four grandchildren.
He had many hobbies including fishing, hunting and bike riding. He had ridden the Tour to Tanglewood for Multiple Sclerosis for ten years and biked across the state three times.
He loved life and never met a stranger. His beautiful blue eyes and big smile will always be remembered by family and friends.
Shelia Rothrock
Edward Rouse
With the untimely death of our donor, a light from our household is forever gone. He was unique in so many ways and is so sadly missed by his family and friends.
Since he lived most of his life on the coast, his favorite pastime was fishing – for any kind of fish. He loved to “catch-em and eat-em.”
His love for his grandchildren, especially the oldest - a granddaughter - was something to see. She was the apple of his eye. From go-carts to jigsaw puzzles he enjoyed helping her.
Next came his favorite sport, NASCAR. During racing season he was always in front of the television for all the races. Somewhere in all the mix came me, his wife of 39 years. His sense of humor is one of my favorite memories; his pet name for me was Mama. I miss hearing that greeting upon arriving home in the evening.
James Albert Rouse
December 11, 1932 – July 30, 2007
James was a wonderful dad and a loving husband. He loved God and taught his children about him. With everything he went through in life most people would have given up. He had five hip surgeries, two corneal transplants, knee surgery, even pulmonary fibrosis. With all this I never saw him give up. He was always trying to make people laugh. He also believed no matter how bad you have it, someone somewhere has it worse. He always tried to look at the cup as half full, not half empty. Dad always told me to stand up for what I believed in; to be true to myself; hold tight to my moral values; be humble enough to admit when I was wrong and always be able to say I am sorry. Above all, keep God and your family and friends close.
He loved music and enjoyed playing the guitar and harmonica. He loved to build small baby furniture for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved to hunt and fish and just be outdoors. He loved his dog (Stitch) and his cat (Tinkerbell). He was a great cook and taught me how to cook. He loved to play with his grandkids and they loved him very much.
Dad donated his eyes to the Eye Bank for them to study. The doctors were very impressed with how long they had lasted. His first corneal transplant was done on the left eye in 1956 and the right one was done in 1961. Dad was 73 when he passed on, and if you add his age and the age of the person who donated them, the doctors thought he had the oldest living transplanted tissue. I would like to thank The North Carolina Eye Bank for filling my dad’s last request. He wanted so much for his eyes to be studied in hopes it would help someone else one day.
Dad, we love and miss you very much.
Your little girl,
Darlene Rouse McCoy
Cindy Roy-Brown
When I think of those hazel eyes of Cindy's I think of the life that passed through them. Cindy was born in Salem, OR; she met me in high school, fell in love and married while we were in college. We traveled to Texas where she graduated from the University of Texas San Antonio in Accounting. Bored of accounting, Cindy went back to school as a nurse which she enjoyed. She loved working in the community hospital. She was her happiest among the overdoses, stab wounds and gunshots of the Martinez, CA emergency room where she comforted withdrawing heroin addicts and burn victims. Finishing her nursing degree and receiving her state license, she became the victim. With her freshly minted nursing certificate in her hand, Cindy was diagnosed with severe breast cancer. Despite the grim diagnosis, Cindy fought and won against this formidable foe for nine years. Her small five foot two frame belied her giant personality and presence. She had a strong moral compass, strong will, and a passion for the things she believed in. She lived with a good quality of life despite the huge price she paid for every day. She looked forward to each one and used it the best she could. Those who knew Cindy knew that she had a wonderful smile that she shared freely, she was intelligent and engaged. She was by far the strongest person I have ever met. Her will and lust for life and the daily price she paid for that life was terrific. In the last nine years she was in remission for only about 12 – 18 months; the rest of the time she was on one chemotherapy or another. She had six major surgeries, horrific amounts of radiation, dozens of minor surgeries and countless CAT and MRI scans.
Cindy loved fashion design and taught herself to sew complex projects like suits and pants which she designed herself. Later, as the bone metastasis made it too painful to sew, she took up knitting and made the most complicated and fantastic things. She was constantly learning and refining advanced knitting techniques which she taught in person, in the chemotherapy clinic and at workshops when time and her health permitted.
She had metastasis to the bone, lung, liver, brain, yet grace, science, and her will gave us another 3000 days to be with Cindy. This was time to raise our daughter to a beautiful 15 year old and time for us to be together which we give thanks for. When her daughter was not as successful as she should be in school, Cindy pulled her out for two years and home schooled her. Miri is now on the honor role at high school, knows three languages, and is in the 99th percentile in math in the state.
Cindy was very clear about her will, "When I die, I want every part of my body used to help others by transplant or research. It will be useless to me, it should do some good for others." I was happy and so proud to carry out her wishes. God speed, Cindy, you have done so much good on this earth.
