Roy D. Rainey Sr.

1931 - 2016

Roy D. Rainey, Sr., 84, passed away at his home, surrounded by loved ones, due to complications of Alzheimer's on July 22, 2016. Roy was born on July 30, 1931 in St. Ansgar, Iowa to Edward Roy Rainey and Frankie Culmsee Colbertson Rainey Freiheit. He was raised in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. He attended Westmar College in Le Mars, Iowa and Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and earned the rank of Personnelman 2. He was honorably discharged in 1955. On June 9, 1957, he married Salliejane Dickerson.
Roy was a salesman for Liberty Mutual Insurance and a Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts of America, both in Memphis. After moving to Little Rock in 1960, he was employed by Ross Laboratories as a drug representative. He was the founder of Roy D. Rainey & Co., a home building company, Rainey Realty and Rainey Development Company. He developed several subdivisions in Little Rock, including Pleasant Forest.
Roy's entire adult life was dedicated to service, and serve he did. He was President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Little Rock and President of the Board of Trustees of the Home Builders Association of Greater Little Rock. In 1968 he was selected Builder of the Year. He was president of the Arkansas Homebuilders Association and a member of the Arkansas Homebuilders Association for 50 years. He was an active member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and served as Vice-President for two terms, selected as an Outstanding National Representative, served on the national Executive Committee, served on the national Budget and Finance Committee for fifteen years, elected as a trustee to the national BUILDPAC (political action) committee, and become a Senior Life Director. He was a member and then chairman of the National Council of Housing Industry (NCHI). He was selected Realtor of the Year in 1984 and was President of the Greater Little Rock Realtors Association in 1985.
He was appointed by Governor Bill Clinton to the Arkansas Individual Sewage Disposal System in 1987 and served as its chairman for ten years. He was a Life Member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board and served as its Board Chairman for three terms. He also received the "Others" Award, which is the highest civilian award given by the Salvation Army, and he was a currently serving Board member. He was highly involved in the Boy Scouts of America, both in scouting as a boy and Cubmaster and Scoutmaster at Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Memphis. He served on the Council Executive Committee of the Quapaw Area Council and was a Board member of the Boy Scouts of America, Quapaw Area Council, for 50 years and was a currently serving Board member. He received the Silver Beaver award, the highest civilian award given by the Boy Scouts of America.
He served on the governing Board of the Arkansas Travelers and was still serving at the time of his death. He had been a stockholder since 1966. He helped organize the Roadhog Club, a club for the Arkansas Razorback fans who travel to football games by RV. He served as their first President and was instrumental in the building of Roadhog RV Park in Fayetteville. He was a member of The Major Sports Association and the Arkansas Razorback Touchdown Club. He was a member of the Hi-Noon Toastmasters club for over 43 years and obtained their highest rank of Distinguished Toastmaster in 1979. He also served as their President. The Roy Rainey Award is given each year to the Toastmaster with the best attendance. He attended the Hi-Noon Toastmasters meetings each Friday until 2 weeks prior to his death.
He served as a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1979 and was a member of The Political Animals Club for many years. He was a member of the Downtown Rotary Club, the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, the Sales and Marketing Executives Association, The Royal Ambassadors and served on the Pulaski County Planning Board during the early 1990s.
He served as President of the Robinson High School Booster Club for several years, and for years, he worked on the "chain gang" at all of the football games. He organized and led the effort to make many capital improvements to Robinson's athletic fields and facilities at no cost to the school.
He was a member of Fellowship Bible Church for 15 years as a greeter, and a member of the Men's Fraternity team, always making sure the men had hot, fresh donuts for their 6 a.m.
meetings.
As important as service to others was to Roy, it was his family that made him the happiest. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers, Edward Rainey, Donald Rainey and twin brother, Ray Rainey. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Salliejane Dickerson Rainey, two sons, Roy D. Rainey, Jr. (Sheryl) and Russell D. Rainey (Cheryl), both of Little Rock. Five grandchildren, Brittany Rainey Thornton (Kelly) of Little Rock, Joshua D. Rainey (Katharina) of Feldkirch, Austria, Mary Katherine Rainey of New York, NY, Roy D. Rainey III of Chicago, IL and Elizabeth Rainey Casteel (Sean) of Little Rock. Three great-grandchildren, Cole and Turner Thornton of Little Rock and Evelyn Rainey of Feldkirch, Austria. He is also survived by two sisters, Lola Rundgren of Starbuck, MN and Lucille Odden of Miller, SD and a host of nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff of the UAMS Reynolds Institute on Aging, especially Dr. Mark Pippenger, along with his staff, and Dr. Burcu Ozdemir. They would also like to thank the staff of Hospice Home Care who cared for Roy so well during his final days.
Memorial Services for Roy will be held on Thursday, August 4, 2016 at 10 a.m. in the Chapel at Fellowship Bible Church, 1401 Kirk Road, Little Rock, AR 72223. Visitation will follow.
The family asks that memorial donations be made to: Adventures for Life, a ministry focused solely on building better men and better dads, which was so important to Roy, 10800 Barrett Road, Roland, AR 72135.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct, Little Rock, (501)224-2200. Roy's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.