Richard “Rick” Robinson Richardson, Jr.
03-31-1949 to 04-15-2022
Rick would be so very pleased that his corneas gave the gift of sight to someone in need. He was a loving husband, very proud father of two sons, both of whom served in the military. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge and served several years as a Shriner clown. He was truly a people person who never met a stranger.
– Darlene “Dolly” Richardson, Widow of Rick Richardson
David wanted to help others. He exemplified the life of servant leadership and devotion to Jesus. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 6:8. His legacy was based on his love for The Lord. A Coast Guard Academy graduate and a deck officer in the Merchant Marine for 21 years, David helped others with his service through disaster relief with Samaritan’s Purse and as chaplain with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. He also served as a chaplain with the Emergency chaplains of Durham, NC. David spent the last 5 months of his life working with the Spartanburg Opportunity Center, a homeless shelter in SC as well as helping with his church.
NFL football fans, especially Pittsburgh Steelers fans, will certainly recognize the name Jack “Hydroplane” Deloplaine. Drafted by the Steelers in 1976, Jack was a talented running back who earned his nickname, and a Super Bowl ring, by being particularly effective running in the rain. But he garnered an even greater reputation for his humility, kindness and generosity.
Jack passed away in early August of 2022 at the age of 68. Honoring his wishes, his corneas were donated to Miracles In Sight.
Although Jack was not officially registered as an organ donor until later in life, he and his wife, Kathy, discussed the decision long ago. As former Director of Cardiology at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh and Assistant Vice President of Cardiac Services at AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson, S.C., Kathy knew the importance of organ and tissue donation. “I know how life-saving and life-changing it can be,” she adds.Read More
My name is Demetria Jackson. I am the daughter of Tyese Jackson Miller. I wanted to just share a little about my mother. My mom was SC State Mentor for more than 20 years, she was also an arbitrator for the state of South Carolina. She was also a chaplain and volunteered at DDJ for years. She worked with children at all stages in their life rather they were considered hopeless. She never believed in bad kids, just bad choices. My mom had three kids My brother Billy Demacrius Jackson he lived to be 19 years old before his life was cut short do to gun violence. This only made my mom’s passion for her community grow and made her more dedicated to reach more youth. There is my brother Edward Jackson and myself. She was an amazing grandmother or nana as they loved her, Mickey Jackson, Dashawn Brown, Diamond Brown ,Edward Jackson Jr , Saperia Jackson and the youngest who was 4 years old at her passing Elijah Jackson. She was a Christian an Evangelist she loved God ,her family and her community. I could say so much about the woman she was and the legacy she left behind. As her only daughter I desire to simply live on and support the legacy . She was a wife, a devoted sister and honorable loving friend. Read More
Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez was a special man to everyone he encountered. Exemplifying what it meant to live life to the fullest, he loved everyone with abundance and always treated everyone with respect.
Paco lived a full life. Born-and-raised in a small town of Mezquital in Mexico, he was a true cowboy at heart. When my parents decided they wanted to start their lives in the United States, my dad never let his language barrier dismay him from the pursuit of his “American Dream”.
With his grit and determination he became a U.S. Citizen, put all three of his children through college, successfully started and operated his own small business, and even started his life-long dream of building his “retirement” home in his hometown of Mezquital.
Throughout his 58 years of life, he was able to see many parts of the world with his business. Owning and operating a dental lab that fabricated dental prosthesis, my dad held a certain passion for seeing others smile with confidence. A particular aspect of his life that was dear to him was joining mission trips across different continents and providing dental care to the underserved. It brought him such joy and I can honestly say, I never saw his eyes sparkle in quite the same way as when he was able to give someone else a new smile.
All in all though, despite a plethora of options, I think he considered his greatest accomplishment as being adored and cherished by his wife, two daughters, and son.
Holding the honor of being his eldest daughter, I never pass a chance to sing his praises. Beyond his genuine joy for life, my dad loved deeply and earnestly, listened attentively, and always gave more than he received. Thus, as sorrowful as his untimely passing was, my dad being an organ, tissue and eye donor was never a shock. During our time of great grief, it gave our family such pride to know that even in his absence, he was still able to share apart of himself with others in need.
As much good as he did during his life, he continues do good even beyond. My family and I are so thankful to Miracles In Sight in helping my dad fulfill another one of his dreams. To the recipients of his corneas, I hope you see the world as my dad saw it- full of love, color and hope.
-Anna Rodriguez Carter, Daughter of donor Francisco J. Rodriguez
“I was the blessed recipient of cornea tissue that changed my life unlike anything previous or ever will. I now see the world through more grateful eyes and it shall never be looked at the same again.” – Shelly Cleek, Corneal Tissue Recipient
It is always a beautiful thing to hear a recipient’s story after regaining their sight. Thank you, Shelly, for your kind words and heart for your donor family.
