Reginald Willis: Always there with a helping hand

Born in 1948, Reginald Willis grew up in the rural community of Blounts Creek, North Carolina, where he still resides today.  He says his work on the family farm as a child taught him how to survive, as it meant rising at 4:30 in the morning and not stopping until dusk. After graduating from the all-black SW Snowden School in Aurora, North Carolina, he went on to work as a welder at Hackney, a company that builds truck bodies and trailers, in Washington, North Carolina, for the next 49 years. Community service was also a part of his heart and soul, as he was always there to lend a helping hand to others.  “It’s been a good life.”