William Ernest Riggs

Reidsville: William Ernest Riggs, of 1219 Fillman Drive, Reidsville, NC, passed away Wednesday, February 25, 2015 on his ninety-third birthday. He was predeceased by first wife Laura Rebecca Pressly Riggs, and daughter Alice R. Linden, sisters Maebell R. Reid, Dallas R. Merritt, Esther R. Cox, Mary R. Phillips, Dorothy R. Galloway, and brothers Joseph C. Riggs and James S. Riggs. He is survived by wife June Mooney Riggs, daughters Marie R Brown (Tom), Mason R Porter (Reid), sisters Charlotte R Cox (Percy), and Vivian Riggs, grandchildren Jennifer Brown, Joshua Brown (Ophelia Zamora), Chuck Porter, Joey Porter (Jennifer), John Porter, Emily Lewis (Jordan), Suzanna McLeod (Billy), and great grandchildren Will and Liya Porter, JJ and Emelina Brown, and Linden Lewis. He is also survived by his loving second family, step-children Lisa M. Fitzgerald, Lori M. Smith (Glenn), David Mooney, Jr. (Cheri), and step-grandchildren Tyler and Caroline Mooney, Ashley Fitzgerald, Ryan and Amanda Smith. Born in Pitt County, Bill was a 1950 graduate of NC State University. He retired from Chase Bag Company in 1987 after a successful career in textiles that spanned 34 years. He served honorably in the European theater during WWII in the US Army, and in France during the Korean conflict in the US Air Force. He was retired from the NC Air National Guard in 1982, where he had risen to the rank of Brigadier General serving as Assistant Adjutant General. He was active in First Presbyterian Church, Reidsville, serving over the years as Deacon and Ruling Elder, teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir. He chose not to bury his talents, but to invest them generously, by serving his community in the following ways: former Chairman of the Annie Penn Hospital Board of Trustees; President of the Reidsville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Member of the United Way Board of Directors; Past President of Pennrose Park Country Club; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Reidsville Branch of Wachovia Bank; President of Reidsville Chapter of the American Red Cross; Member of the Free Clinic of Reidsville and Vicinity Board of Directors; President of Rockingham Community College Foundation; President of the Reidsville Rotary Club; President of Combat Airmen of WWII. Perhaps his most notable passion was for Habitat for Humanity where he spent fifteen of his retirement years building houses and providing leadership to the local organization as President of the Reidsville Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors. In 1990 he was chosen by Rotary International to lead a Study exchange group to India for six weeks. Then in 2001, eleven years later, he headed another Rotary exchange group to the Philippines. He visited the WWII Memorial as a participant in one of the Flights of Honor from Greensboro. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM, Saturday, February 28, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church with Dr. Doug McLeroy officiating. The burial will follow at Evergreen Memory Gardens with Military Honors. The family will receive friends Friday, February 27 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Wilkerson Funeral Home and other times at the home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to First Presbyterian Church, 318 South Main Street, Reidsville, NC 27320 or Habitat for Humanity, 227 W Morehead St. Reids