Roy Rainey, Sr.
d. July 22, 2016
Roy Rainey, Sr.
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 it's chairman for ten years. He was a Life Member of the Salvation Army
Advisory Board and served as it's 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 1990's.
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., (501)224-2200. Roy's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
1401 Kirk Road
Little Rock, AR, 72223
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 it's chairman for ten years. He was a Life Member of the Salvation Army
Advisory Board and served as it's 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 1990's.
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., (501)224-2200. Roy's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
Service
AUG 4. 10:00 AM (CDT)
Fellowship Bible Church1401 Kirk Road
Little Rock, AR, 72223
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