I would like to share a few things about Etta, first I will say we always called her Beth. She told me when she was a little girl that she thought Etta was a old person name so she wanted to be called Beth. We all found that hilarious, she always had a sense of humor and she was a very loved woman. She always put others first and she loved her two children more than anything.

Beth loved to fish she enjoyed being outside working in the yard. She loved flowers, butterflies and hummingbirds and of course cardinals! She loved working in a garden and cooking. She enjoyed cooking special dishes for holidays and my favorite was her sweet potato casserole! She enjoyed family get togethers. She always made you feel special on your birthday. She always made a big deal of it because she wanted you to know how much she loved you!

She was proud to be a donor, and I am proud of her for that I am happy she continues to help others.

My Dad was an adventurer! He loved long walks by the ocean and building sandcastles, but his heart was in the mountains. Camping, hiking, canoeing and fly fishing were a few of his favorites. He also enjoyed experimenting with recipes and cooking for the family. Thanksgiving was always his favorite holiday. He loved to explore new places in his jeep, always looking for God’s natural beauty. His six grandchildren were his pride and joy! My hope is that someone else is able to see the beauty in this world just as my Dad did. 

He was the most selfless person I knew. He would always lend a helping hand and be there for anyone that needed him. He opened his doors to friends and family that needed a place to stay and would give a stranger the shirt off his back. He always wanted to be an organ donor. Although our hearts are broken; my family and I are extremely thankful to Miracles in Sight! Thank you for giving him the opportunity to donate his corneas and help another person in need. 

On March 4th at 11:00 pm Larry was experiencing chest discomfort and sweating. EMS was called and he was taken to the emergency room. At 1:30 it was decided he needed to have a cardiac catherization and at 3:30 am he was pronounced death during the procedure. Prior to 11:00 we had been to Pizza Hut and watched the Duke and Carolina game. All seemed to be well. His death was totally a surprise.

On the way home I was called concerning donation. I have been a registered nurse for 52 years and always encouraged organ donation so this was not a choice. I was thankful that something good would be coming from his sudden death. At 1:00 pm the called came concerning the donation with added information. It was a positive experience and thankful I was contacted.

Larry was a master carpenter. He made beautiful jewelry boxes, clocks, bowels, vases etc. He never sold them but gave them away to family members. He had little patience for somethings but when he had a piece of wood in his hands he could sand and cut for hours. At church he was there 45min before service started. Making sure lights were on, heat and air was good and greeted people as they entered. His wit and ability to relate to anyone is the thing I miss the most.

Our son and brother, Ian Michael Roof, was born on April 15, 1986 and passed away at the age of 36 on January 25, 2023. 

Ian was an active child and that continued on into adulthood.  As a young child he would get home from school and go straight to the kitchen table to complete his homework so he could get outside to play.  Playing and having fun was on the top of his priority list.  He was an exceptional athlete as well, perhaps more because of his understanding of how to play the games than for his natural ability.

Ian attended the University of South Carolina and received a BA degree in 2009.  While there, during one semester, he played on nine intramural teams including men’s basketball, coed basketball, soccer, coed soccer, dodgeball, coed dodgeball etc. etc.  We often wondered how he even completed that semester successfully.

He continued his education at the local community colleges and received a degree in Radiology Technology.  He worked as an X-Ray technician and then obtained credentials to do MRIs.  His last job was conducting MRIs at a local hospital.  We have been told that he was very good at this job-particularly dealing with children who had to have scans.  His ability to put people at ease was his gift.

Ian did not know a stranger and people gravitated to him for his friendship.  He was a good listener, provided sound advice, enjoyed laughing and was by all accounts the life of any party.  He was asked to be a groomsman in more weddings than most of us attend in our lifetime- that is how special he was to others.  His quick wit, willingness to help others, and outgoing personality endeared him to many.  This was indicative in the number of people who came to his service – estimated at about 500.  They came from all over the country, and in attendance were childhood friends, teachers, coaches, co-workers, fellow college students, neighbors, and new acquaintances.  Many tears were shed. 

Ian would be pleased that others have benefited from his life.  We hope that his ability to donate parts of himself bring everlasting joy to the recipients and that they too can enjoy their life to the fullest as he did every day.

Anita Reeder Hardister was a giver all of her life. It was in her DNA I suppose. At a mere eleven years old she witnessed her father give his life in an attempt to save a young woman from drowning. Our family was awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal of Honor for his fatal sacrifice. That level of giving shaped her and lent to who she would become.

My Mama always gave even if it meant she went without. She was a teacher to many children in and out of the classroom. She dedicated her entire life to giving of herself in some capacity. She never wanted accolades and at her funeral, I began to learn of many of the things she did in private to help others. She didn’t want fanfare or praise, she gave because she felt it so deeply in her soul to assist those in need in any way she could manage to help them. She passed on July 30, 2011, and to this day, I still am learning of the things she did to reach others and give them hope. She was adamant about organ donation and I know she would be thrilled to know her donation to your foundation assisted someone in seeing the world as she did.

I was her only child and the bond we shared was like nothing I can begin to put into words. She loved me so fiercely and she instilled in me the need to give as well. She said I was the love of her life, and then when my sons, Aaron Seth and Luke were born, she found room in her huge heart to make them the loves of her life as well.

She loved music, sewing, and reading every book she could get her hands on. Her quick wit and storytelling ability were a source of constant entertainment for every person who had the honor of knowing her. She took great pride in teaching Sunday school at our church for twenty-plus years. She didn’t brag but she was quite the writer as well. The last written work of my Mother. She was awake at two in the morning on July 20, 2011, unable to get up on her own. She called me into her room and ask me to crawl onto her big, comfy bed beside her. She told me she wanted me next to her as I read her finished product. It was much like the days of my childhood when I found safety and security, nestled next to Mama, reading to each other. The words below gave me chills, in my heart, I truly believe she knew her last days were upon her. I wept as I saw her handwriting had become shaky, but her grammar and punctuation were still very much intact. Our eyes met as they had so many times, and she managed to whisper, you will need this baby.I escaped to her room minutes after she was gone, and there at her beside was her well-kept notebook, pencil in the binding, and this poem there for me to see and read on my own this time. Thank you, Mama, for leaving me with such a beautiful way to see death and the legacy you left for Seth, Luke, and myself.

When Sandy was born premature in 1953, it was evident right away she had vision problems. Her left eye was turned in. She wore glasses from 6 months to her passing. In her forties, Sandy had strabismus surgery to pull the muscle and realign her eye.

Through organ donation, Sandy was able to selflessly give her eyes to two people. The gift of sight would be so meaningful to her. Out of her entire body, her eyes were the only tissue or organs able to be donated. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works and my soul knows it well. Psalm 139:14

To know her was to love her. Sandy was a gentle spirit. Her children and grandchildren adored their Mimi.