Obituary for Alvis Louise Rankins (Lackey)
Alvis Louise Lackey Rankins, without doubt, personified endless love. Smitten by her neighborhood sweetheart to whom she was betrothed and remained dedicated and loyal til her dying day — a marriage vow taken literally. Wed on 29th of June, 1974, there was no replacement for her Marshall. She loved the tennis legends Roger Federer, Nadal and Dejokavic. Tennis was her world.
Alvis was a study in simplicity. With a heart as pure as gold, she seized desires with unwavering pursuit in all her choices. Whether it was cooking shows to inform quests in her own test kitchen, daily execution of her personal chores and mounting errands for her beloved niece or unquestionable love of family and friends, Alvis’s routines were as certain as the rising sun. Not only was her demeanor positive but she tagged everyone with superlatives: be it cousins Dele, Dede or Joyce as most beautiful, Pudgy as the consummate comedian, multiples with brilliance or strength, Alvis clung to the devine spark everyone holds. Her role in the classroom as an early education assistant was preordained; nourishing childhood energy, vigor and wonder.
Whether it was TV, social media or perfecting her favorite perch (gazing thru her front room or bedroom window), Alvis mastered the art of self-entertainment. A weekly delight was long distance calls to NJ with boisterous laughter while describing her imaginary encounters — sitting court side at Wimbledon or any worldwide tennis match or other international event, annual favorites like The Kentucky Derby or Sweet 16; she was an avid and loyal sports fan. She loved describing her own uniform (Serena had nothing over Alvis!) because she was not simply an observer . . . sitting before her screen, she was a fierce & competitive participant too. Alvis was a voracious reader. She loved life. Her world was real; filled with joy, fraught with pain.
Alvis Louise Lackey Rankins, 68, of Avon Avenue, Troutman, NC, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at her residence. She was born in Iredell County, on March 1, 1955, and was preceded in death by her parents, the late Ira “Bomber" William Lackey Sr. and Pearl Phifer Lackey, and her older brother, Victor Lackey.
Alvis was a 1973 graduate from Statesville High School. She was most recently employed as a teacher’s assistant at Troutman Elementary School before retiring after 20 years of service. She was a member of Gateway to Heaven Commandment Keepers Church.
Alvis leaves to cherish her memory, her devoted husband, Marshall Rankins, Jr.; one brother Ira Lackey, Jr. of Princeton, NJ; three sisters, Dorothy Woodard, Sherry Lackey and Barbara Dobbins, all of Statesville; two nieces, Kayla Dobbins of Statesville and Courtland Lackey of Atlanta, GA; one nephew, Russell Caldwell of Statesville; one great-nephew, Kent Townsend of Atlanta, GA; Mother-in Law Katherine Rankins, brother-in-law Kevin Rankins, sisters-in law Linda F. Carr, Brenda K. Rankins, Gwendolyn Rankins, Paulette Tucker (Clarence), and Celia Annette Boone, plus a host of cousins, other relatives, church family and friends.
Yes, simplicity is what so many prized in Alvis but the depth of her interests and devotion paints as complex of a personality as you’ll ever encounter. In all her relationships, Alvis is best summed by a verse in Maze’s 1980 hit, “Joy and Pain” — Sunshine and Rain:
Love can be bitter, love can be sweet
Sometimes devotion and sometimes deceit
The ones that you care for give you so much pain
Oh but it's alright they're both one in the same
Celebration of Life Services will be conducted Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 1:00 PM at Gateway to Heaven Commandment Keepers Church, 1336 Winston Avenue. Burial will follow at Belmont Cemetery. Mrs. Rankins will remain at Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home until taken to the church to lie in state at 12:00 noon. Members of the family will receive friends at the church from noon until 1:00 PM but will assemble at the home in Troutman at other times.
Alvis was a study in simplicity. With a heart as pure as gold, she seized desires with unwavering pursuit in all her choices. Whether it was cooking shows to inform quests in her own test kitchen, daily execution of her personal chores and mounting errands for her beloved niece or unquestionable love of family and friends, Alvis’s routines were as certain as the rising sun. Not only was her demeanor positive but she tagged everyone with superlatives: be it cousins Dele, Dede or Joyce as most beautiful, Pudgy as the consummate comedian, multiples with brilliance or strength, Alvis clung to the devine spark everyone holds. Her role in the classroom as an early education assistant was preordained; nourishing childhood energy, vigor and wonder.
Whether it was TV, social media or perfecting her favorite perch (gazing thru her front room or bedroom window), Alvis mastered the art of self-entertainment. A weekly delight was long distance calls to NJ with boisterous laughter while describing her imaginary encounters — sitting court side at Wimbledon or any worldwide tennis match or other international event, annual favorites like The Kentucky Derby or Sweet 16; she was an avid and loyal sports fan. She loved describing her own uniform (Serena had nothing over Alvis!) because she was not simply an observer . . . sitting before her screen, she was a fierce & competitive participant too. Alvis was a voracious reader. She loved life. Her world was real; filled with joy, fraught with pain.
Alvis Louise Lackey Rankins, 68, of Avon Avenue, Troutman, NC, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at her residence. She was born in Iredell County, on March 1, 1955, and was preceded in death by her parents, the late Ira “Bomber" William Lackey Sr. and Pearl Phifer Lackey, and her older brother, Victor Lackey.
Alvis was a 1973 graduate from Statesville High School. She was most recently employed as a teacher’s assistant at Troutman Elementary School before retiring after 20 years of service. She was a member of Gateway to Heaven Commandment Keepers Church.
Alvis leaves to cherish her memory, her devoted husband, Marshall Rankins, Jr.; one brother Ira Lackey, Jr. of Princeton, NJ; three sisters, Dorothy Woodard, Sherry Lackey and Barbara Dobbins, all of Statesville; two nieces, Kayla Dobbins of Statesville and Courtland Lackey of Atlanta, GA; one nephew, Russell Caldwell of Statesville; one great-nephew, Kent Townsend of Atlanta, GA; Mother-in Law Katherine Rankins, brother-in-law Kevin Rankins, sisters-in law Linda F. Carr, Brenda K. Rankins, Gwendolyn Rankins, Paulette Tucker (Clarence), and Celia Annette Boone, plus a host of cousins, other relatives, church family and friends.
Yes, simplicity is what so many prized in Alvis but the depth of her interests and devotion paints as complex of a personality as you’ll ever encounter. In all her relationships, Alvis is best summed by a verse in Maze’s 1980 hit, “Joy and Pain” — Sunshine and Rain:
Love can be bitter, love can be sweet
Sometimes devotion and sometimes deceit
The ones that you care for give you so much pain
Oh but it's alright they're both one in the same
Celebration of Life Services will be conducted Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 1:00 PM at Gateway to Heaven Commandment Keepers Church, 1336 Winston Avenue. Burial will follow at Belmont Cemetery. Mrs. Rankins will remain at Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home until taken to the church to lie in state at 12:00 noon. Members of the family will receive friends at the church from noon until 1:00 PM but will assemble at the home in Troutman at other times.