| Sources |
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 19 Jan 2002.
Conley Albert Ownby obituary
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 19 Sep 1997.
Betty Jean Cooper Brackins obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 19 Jul 2007.
Benefit ride adds $6,000 to Brackins' fund
By: ANGELA WILLIAMS, Staff Writer
July 19, 2007
PIGEON FORGE - The blessings are adding up for longtime Pigeon Forge police officer Rodger Brackins.
Diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, Brackins has seen the community come together to raise thousands of dollars to help with his medical expenses.
The latest in a series of benefits - a motorcycle ride this past Saturday - added $6,000 to the donation totals.
"One thing I've learned from all this is that time is really, really precious," Brackins said. "For someone to come out and basically give up their whole day to ride in this benefit ride really means a whole lot."
The ride, which cost $25 per registered motorcycle and $5 per passenger, provided spectators and drivers-by quite a show. The caravan of around 150 motorcycles departed from the Pigeon Forge Community Center and ended up at the Harley Davidson store in Maryville.
"When we first turned around when we got to Harley Davidson, you could see the motorcycles going back at least a mile or a mile and a half," officer Lynn Wilhoit said. "The motorcycles were two abreast and it was like a sea of bikes."
The bike benefit added to a donation total of over $35,000. The money has given the family some financial security and allowed Brackins' wife Penny to stay home with him.
"When we found out that he had cancer, it absolutely crumbled my world," Penny Brackins said. "We immediately started in with the surgeries and treatment. From the first day, the guys said don't worry about the bills.
"This has let me stay home with him and be with him when he's feeling sick after treatments. It has let us have time together that we might otherwise not have had."
With the added attention, Brackins has found himself feeling pretty well, considering.
"I feel pretty good," Brackins said. "I took a treatment last Thursday and felt good enough Saturday that I was able to ride along with the ride. The good days far outweigh the bad days. And Penny has been my rock through all of this."
Penny Brackins, in turn, has been able to lean on those around her.
"Our family has been wonderful," Penny Brackins said. "Our friends have been wonderful. Perfect strangers have been good to us. Somebody stops by or calls everyday to see how Rodger is doing or if we need anything."
And that, Rodger considers among his greatest blessings.
"I get to wake up everyday and count my blessings," Brackins said. "But I'm getting higher and higher numbers of them every day."
* awilliams@themountainpress.com
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 11 Sep 2010.
Rodger Dale Brackins, 52, went home to be with his Lord after a courageous 3 year fight with cancer.
Rodger was a police officer with the Pigeon Forge Police Department for 27 years, a captain with the Pigeon Forge Volunteer Fire Department for 31 years and an EMT, IV Tech for 19 years.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Brackins; his father-in-law, Rev. Loren L. Whaley; brother-in-law, Conley A. (CA) Ownby; great-nephew, Dana Scottie Richardson, II; and much loved nephew, Alex James Ogle.
Rodger is survived by his beloved wife, Penny L. Brackins; father, Frank Brackins; mother-in-law, Aureta L. Whaley; son and daughter in-law, Johnny & Amanda Yoakum; daughter and son-in-law, Shannon & Mike McFall; grandchildren, Christian Faith Gregg, Tyson Kade McFall, Samuel Loren Yoakum, Tenley Mika McFall & John Aaron Matthew Yoakum; brothers, Larry & Joyce Brackins, John & Evelyn Brackins; sister, Chris & Rodger Ogle; sisters-in-law, Lorene & Berk Furrow and Chris (Ownby) & Phil Derosia; brothers-in-law, Rodney & Gwen Whaley, Eddie & Brenda Whaley, Randel & Lorie Whaley; several loved nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Richard Lee and staff of Tennessee Cancer Specialists and to the staff of Mercy Residential Hospice in Halls for the excellent care that both Rodger and the family received.
A benefit account has been set up at Tennessee State Bank in Rodger’s name to help with medical and funeral expenses.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time, but will be announced in tomorrow’s paper by Atchley Funeral Home, Sevierville and posted on www.atchleyfuneralhome.com
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 11 Sep 2010.
Rodger Dale Brackins
April 03, 1958 - September 11, 2010
Birthplace: Sevier County, Tennessee
Resided In: Sevierville Tennessee USA
Visitation: September 13, 2010
Service: September 14, 2010
Cemetery: Mattox Cemetery
Rodger Dale Brackins, 52 of Sevierville, went home to be with his Lord after a courageous 3 year fight with cancer.
Rodger was a police officer with the Pigeon Forge Police Department for 27 years, a captain with the Pigeon Forge Volunteer Fire Department for 31 years and an EMT, IV Tech for 19 years.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Brackins, his father-in-law, Rev. Loren L. Whaley, brother-in-law, Conley A. (CA) Ownby, great-nephew, Dana Scottie Richardson, II, and much loved nephew, Alex James Ogle.
Rodger is survived by his beloved wife, Penny L. Brackins, father, Frank Brackins, mother-in-law, Aureta L. Whaley, son and daughter in-law, Johnny & Amanda Yoakum, daughter and son-in-law, Shannon & Mike McFall. Grandchildren, Christian Faith Gregg, Tyson Kade McFall, Samuel Loren Yoakum, Tenley Mika McFall & John Aaron Matthew Yoakum. Brothers, Larry & Joyce Brackins, John & Evelyn Brackins, sister, Chris & Rodger Ogle. Sisters-in-law - Lorene & Berk Furrow and Chris (Ownby) & Phil Derosia, brothers-in-law, Rodney & Gwen Whaley, Eddie & Brenda Whaley, Randel & Lorie Whaley. Several loved nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Richard Lee and staff of Tennessee Cancer Specialists and to the staff of Mercy Residential Hospice in Halls for the excellent care that both Rodger and the family received.
A benefit account has been set up at Tennessee State Bank in Rodger’s name to help with medical and funeral expenses.
Funeral service 10 AM Tuesday in the West Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Mattox Cemetery. His nephews will serve as pallbearers. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be his great-nephews and fellow members of the Pigeon Forge Police and Fire Departments. The family will receive friends 4-7 PM Monday at Atchley Funeral Home, Sevierville. (www.atchleyfuneralhome.com)
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 13 Sep 2010.
Tribute to be paid today to versatile PF emergency responder
Rodger Brackins was a member of the Pigeon Forge police and fire departments and an EMT.
By DEREK HODGES
PIGEON FORGE — Tribute is set to be paid today to the memory of a man who served the city and residents of Pigeon Forge in three different uniforms for a combined total of 75 years of keeping folks safe.
Rodger Brackins, 52, died Saturday after a three-year battle with cancer. Before his illness he worked as a police officer for 27 years, was a member of the Pigeon Forge Volunteer Fire Department for 31 years and responded to emergency calls as an EMT for 17 years.
As they prepared to hold a joint memorial service set for 10 a.m. today at Atchley Funeral Home, officials with the fire and police departments are remembering a giant of a man they considered a “backbone” of the city’s emergency services.
“Everyone liked and respected Rodger,” Fire Chief Tony Watson said Monday. “He was a good firefighter and a good man. He was just one of those guys everybody loved. Everybody around here has their favorite Rodger story.”
For Watson, his is about the time Brackins had a motorist stopped for a traffic violation in his job as a police officer. As his fellow firefighters listened in through radio transmissions, Brackins found himself the victim of a warm cup of coffee dumped on him by the woman who apparently was very upset about getting a ticket.
“Rodger, when he would write a ticket, was just as nice as could be about it,” Watson said. “I guess this woman just really went off on him. We aggravated him about that all the time. We used to call him ‘Bully,’ but of course he was just one of the nicest people in the world.”
That Bully was only a joking nickname can be attested to by Police Chief Jack Baldwin, who said Brackins was the furthest from that a man could get.
“He was always the peacemaker in our office,” Baldwin recalled. “If there was ever a disagreement, Rodger was the type of guy who wanted to help settle it. If something happened and people were grumbling about it, he would try to point out there was a reason for it. He just had a heart of gold. He never had an enemy.”
He also was a supervisor’s dream, going above and beyond the call of duty both with the fire department, which he volunteered to serve as safety officer and arson investigator, and for the police.
“He did everything that was asked of him and even more,” Baldwin said.
Brackins left the police force shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer, but remained on the roster at the fire department despite the fact he no longer responded to emergency calls. He made the move to the sidelines after doctors told him how long they expected him to live.
“They only gave him six months to live,” Watson said.
“Of course, Rodger being the individual he is, he stretched that out into three years,” Baldwin added.
In those three years, Brackins dedicated himself to making sure the people in his family — including wife Penny, son Johnny, daughter Shannon and his five grandchildren — felt his love before he could no longer give it, Watson said.
The fire chief visited with Brackins on Friday and said he knew that time he borrowed in battling his disease was nearly up. As it turned out, Brackins would die only a few hours later.
“I knew he didn’t look good,” Watson said. “We always prayed for Rodger and his family, and they were always in our thoughts. We knew this day was coming, but I still don’t think we could ever be ready for it.”
Watson spoke to Brackins’ family over the weekend and said they’re, as to be expected, sad about his passing but have found hope in his faith and their own.
“The family knows he’s no longer suffering,” Watson.
Following the ceremonies this morning, Brackins will be given a burial with honors at Mattox Cemetery in Wears Valley. Donations in his memory can be made to an account set up to help cover medical and final expenses at Tennessee State Bank.
dhodges@themountainpress.com
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 14 Sep 2010.
Final salute: Family, friends bid emotional farewell to Rodger Brackins
Police officers and firefighters salute as the casket of Rodger Brackins is brought out. (Photos by Curt Habraken/The Mountain Press)
Brackins is placed in the hearse for transport to Mattox Cemetery.
Brackins’ wife Penny and daughter Shannon McFall look on as the casket is brought out.
By DEREK HODGES
Those who spoke during Rodger Brackins’ Tuesday morning memorial used words like “amazing” and “remarkable” to describe the man who dedicated more than half his life to keeping the people of Pigeon Forge safe. The proof of those adjectives came after the ceremony was over.
As the procession made its way down the Parkway to Mattox Cemetery, the county’s busiest thoroughfare came to a standstill as every car stopped. American flags posted along the route waved in the breeze, providing the only movement.
Brackins’ fellow emergency workers stood at attention as he made his last ride through the community he loved, joined by motorists, people from businesses along the road and city workers — some of whom held a hand over their hearts and waved small flags.
It was the kind of honor many of those who knew Brackins best feel he deserved, but still know he wouldn’t have wanted.
“I think he would be proud to see what’s going on today, but he’d say, ‘Aw, don’t do that,’” Pigeon Forge Fire Department volunteer chaplain David Walker said before the most impressive of the displays of affection for the man had even started. “This is not the end; it is only the beginning. We want this to be a celebration, even though our hearts are sad.”
The ceremony was an emotional one, even including a tearful tribute to Brackins by daughter Shannon and a final goodbye from his wife Penny.
“This is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done,” said Shannon McFall. “First off, I want you to know you’re the most amazing dad in the world. Words could never express the void we now have in our hearts and lives.”
McFall recounted how her father could go from cheerleader at one of his two children’s sporting events to police officer in the blink of an eye, and could stay up all night with her when she was ill, then leave early in the morning for a shift at the fire station.
“Please know that you are my inspiration,” McFall said, her voice cracking with emotion. “I will always try to think about what you would have done if you were in my shoes. No matter how old I get, I’ll always be your little girl.”
Penny Brackins remembered the man who stepped in not only as husband, but as father to her children, who were 10 and 12 when the couple wed on March 30, 1991. Before she spoke, the country song, “He Didn’t Have to Be” was played at Rodger Brackins’ request. The lyrics include the line, “Looking back all I can say about all the things he did for me is I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.”
The two met through a blind date, courting for only six weeks before Rodger proposed. Penny Brackins pointed out five calla lilies in the arrangement of roses on top of her late husband’s casket. They represented the five grandchildren he lived long enough to see, despite a prediction by a doctor three years ago he had no more than 6 months to live.
“He loved his family so much,” Brackins said. “Rodger was not only the love of my life, he was also my best friend. He was a special man. He was one of a kind. He’ll be really, really sadly and sorely missed.”
All those who spoke commented on Brackins’ love of his family. However, it was his dedication to his community that brought out many of those who attended the ceremony, including members of law enforcement and fire departments from across the area. He served 17 years as an EMT, 27 years as a police officer and 31 years as a firefighter with the city of Pigeon Forge.
“We are poorer as a community because of his loss. I truly believe that,” said David Wear, a city commissioner who was friends with Brackins and served on the police force with him. “He was a selfless man.”
Police Lt. Ritchie Catlett, who knew Brackins all his life, said Brackins was a “remarkable man with a deep love and affection for his family.” He believes it was that combined with faith and prayer that helped Brackins survive for so long after a diagnosis of cancer.
“His battle with cancer was set up to be a sprint,” Catlett said. “He turned it into a marathon.”
As Catlett spoke, he could not hold back his emotions, wiping away tears and choking back sobs. As he did, it seemed to give permission to others among the uniformed officers in the crowd to allow their feelings out, as some began brushing away their own tears.
On that remarkable trip to the cemetery, the lengthy procession led and followed by flashing lights, passed down the Parkway and under a flag strung between the extended ladders of two fire trucks.
At the graveside, Brackins was given a 21-gun salute by local members of the National Guard. His fellow officers and firefighters stood at attention as “Taps” was played, then Brackins was given a uniquely heart-wrenching tribute.
From the speakers of every radio unit carried by each officer and firefighter in attendance, a dispatcher called first for Brackins’ police call number, 709, then for the numerals given him by the Fire Department, 205. With no answer, those calling for the lost hero declared his service done.
“He has completed his tour of 31 years of service,” one of the faceless voices declared. “He will be greatly missed.”
As that pronouncement was made, audible sobs went up from many in the crowd, including usually-strong officers who seemed surprised by their own emotion. A service bell was rung 15 times to once again signal the end of Brackins’ work, then a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” as the Lifestar helicopter made two low passes over the plot on a small hill at the foot of Cove Mountain.
“They don’t make them like him every day,” City Manager Earlene Teaster said after the ceremonies were over. “He was one of a kind. He was a good one.”
dhodges@themountainpress.com
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name Bride's First Name Bride's Maiden Name County Date of Marriage File #
BRACKINS RODGER D PENNY L NOT GIVEN SEVIER 03-30-1991 11451
|
Search | Advanced Search
1958 - 2010 (52 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
= Link to Google Maps