Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / July 6, 1995, edition 1 / Page 1
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July 6,1995 .,2 013163 PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY iin W ACAOEMY ST ^cpTFORD MC 27944 The Perquimans nceKiy 350 Vol. 63, No. 27 The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people Hertford, North Carolina 27944 Wolf man Jack dies of heart attack By JULIAN EURE The Daily Advance Robert Smith, known around the world as the howl ing disc jockey “Wolfman Jack,” died at his home in Belvidere Saturday of a mas sive heart attack. He was 57. Smith had just returned from Washington, D.C., where he does his weekly radio show, when the heart attack occurred, said Lonnie Napier, Smith’s longtime road manag er. “He had just gotten home and walked up the stairs to give his wife a kiss, when it just hit him,” Napier said. The Perquimans County Rescue Squad was called, but Smith could not be revived. He died shortly after 10:30 a.m. “He was a great guy, a very unselfish human being who wanted to give of himself to everybody,” Napier said. “If you got to know him like I did, he was truly a great fel low,” said Doug Layden of Layden’s Supermarket, a neighborhood grocery near Smith’s residence. “Nobody here in Belvidere ever made a big fuss over him. We treated him just like he was a regular person, and he seemed to like that,” Layden said. “He told me he liked the peace and quiet here, and the fact he didn’t have to be Wolfman when he was here.” A native of Brooklsm, N.Y., Smith was already a disc jock ey in Los Angeles radio and calling himself “Wolfman Jack” when he caught the ear of movie producer George Lucas in the early 1970s. Lucas cast t he gravelly- voiced Smith as himself in his hit 1973 movie “American Graffiti.” Smith’s career sky rocketed. Besides his radio career. Smith also appeared in the movie “American Hot Wax: and hosted “The Midnight Special,” a popular weekly music show in the 1970s. Smith’s trademark how and cook-but-quick delivery inspired a generation of disc jockeys. The Wolfman even inspired a hit song. The Guess Who immortalized Smith with “Clap for the Wolfman” in the 1970s. In recent years. Smith con fined himself to his weekly syndicated radio show and appearances at “oldy” rock-n- roll shows, Napier said. For the past two weeks, he had been on the road promoting his new book,” Have Mercy, The Confession of the Original Party Animal.” “All he ever wanted to be was a DJ and play rhythm and blues. This other stuff just came along,” Napier said. Smith had experienced “a little angina problem” a few years ago, but had never had a heart attack before Saturday, Napier said. Smith and his wife Lucy, a Perquimans County native, bought a colonial-era home in Belvidere in 1973, but did not live there on a regular basis until about six years ago, Napier said. The Smiths hosted a Belvidere celebration at their home, Belvidere Plantation, organized by those in the com munity interested in establish ing a National Register Historic District. Smith also appeared at the Perquimans County Library as a guest reader during National Library Week upon the invita tion of former librarian Shelley Feam. Besides his wife. Smith is survived by a son. Tod Weston Smith, 30; a daughter, Joy Rene Smith, 33; a granddaugh ter, Angeleah Olivia Smith, all of Belvidere; a sister, Joan Achee of FuUerton, Calif.; and two half-brothers, Gary Parker of Atlanta, Ga., and Stewert Small of Saratoga, N.Y. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at Belvidere Plantation. Evans Funeral Home, Edenton, is in charge of arrangements,and can be called for information. Whitney’s heart is beating well 8-year-old Winfall girl bounces back after heart transplant By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor Toni Stallings believes in the power of prayer. She has seen her dahghter rally over the last eight years when doc tors had done everything they could and it seemed it wasn’t enough. Then people would pray for little Whitney, both individually and collectively, and, miracu lously, the child would begin to respond. Prayer, and the skill and dedication of doctors at Columbia Medical Center in New York, saw Whitney through her latest medical battle: Whitney underwent a heart transplant in March and came through with flying colors. This winter, Whitney was so weak she could hardly walk across the floor. Now she rides her bike, swings in her back yard and runs around playing with her 3- year-old sister, Kinnan. For the first time since Whitney can remember, she can do all the things others children can do - except swim in the river and play with animals. But with all her other new found freedoms, those little restrictions don’t phase Whitney. The two things that make her happiest about being home are seeing Kinnan and not being on a diet restricted by her heart condition and a protein condition that accom panied it. Amazingly, the new heart fixed both prob lems. “I can eat whatever I want to - except I can’t eat too much candy,” Whitney laughed as she talked about her surgery Friday. One of the nicest things that has come back into her diet is fast food. Like most children, Whitney is partial to ham- PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS Whitney and Kinnan Stallings enjoy riding their bicycles up and down their driveway in Winfall. Playing physical games is a new activity for the sisters because Whitney’s heart wouldn’t allow her to romp like other youngsters. Since she got her new heart in March, Whitney has enjoyed the freedom to run and play with Kinnan. burgers and french fries. It may seem a little strange to other children, but Whitney actually seems to enjoy helping to make the beds in the morning. That was something else she couldn’t do before her surgery. In between making beds, eating her favorite foods and playing, Whitney must take medication four times each day to keep her body from rejecting her new heart and to keep her blood flowing properly. Because of the med ication, even the slightest bump causes bruises. With her new freedom, Whitney is obviously encountering lots of bumps. She shows her bruises like trophies. Her eyes say, “I’d rather be bruised than sitting back on the couch sick again.” While her mother and father, Marty, have certainly done their share of worrying about their older daughter, little Kinnan has been con cerned for her big sister, too. “Every single time I leave, Kinnan just runs to the door when I come in,” Whitney said. And she’ll quickly tell you it was seeing Kinnan that was the best thing about coming home. Not that there was a chance Whitney might fall in love with New York and not want to return to Perquimans County. She said there was too much litter there and it took too long to get there for her taste. Her doctors and nurses were nice, but she was ready to bid them farewell when she final ly got the okay. Whitney is looking for ward to attending school this fall. She had to stop going to school in November 1993. The strain of day-to-day activities sapped her energy and her immune system was weak. Therefore, she has been home-schooled through the Perquimans County Schools homebound program for almost two years. Toni is thankful for the technology that has given her daughter a new lease on life. She said she is also indebted to those who contributed to the WHC Fund, either through donations or by par ticipating in the benefit orga nized through the local Ruritan Clubs in June. But mostly, Toni is thank ful for the prayers that went up on Whitney’s behalf. She watched as a gravely ill little girl responded when some doctors thought hope was gone. Obviously, Whitney and God had other plans. AP PHOTO Robert Smith, better known as Wolfman Jack, died of a massive heart attack in his Belvidere home Saturday. Wreck injures Hertford man Rainy conditions blamed for head-on collision By GINGER LIVINGSTON The Daily Advance Rainy conditions con tributed to a head-on collision that left a Hertford man in serious condition at Sentara General Hospital in Norfolk, Va. Russell Lynn Boyd, 23, of Route 1, Hertford was serious ly injured when his 1991 Nissan pickup sweved into the path of an International truck driven by Donald Roosevelt Jordan, 39, of Tyner. The acci dent occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the inter section of U.S. Highway 17 Bypass and N.C. Highway 37, a few miles south of Hertford. The intersection is commonly known as the “Y.” N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper K.R. Briggs said Boyd was traveling south on U.S. 17 at approximately 55 mph when he entered a curve near the intersection. His truck began skidding left of center and hit the front of the International which was traveling north. The two vehicles locked and continued moving before stop ping. A third vehicle, a 1980 Chevrolet, was traveling behind boyd’s truck and swerved right to avoid the accidnet. The car, driven by marvin Littlejohn, 40, of 937 N. Broad St., Edenton, ran into a ditch. All three men were trans ported to Chowan Hospital. Boyd was later airlifted to Sentara Hospital. Jordan and Littlejohn suffered minior injuries and were treated and released. Charges are pending, Briggs said. Revised child restraint law takes effect North Carolina’s revised child restraint law took effect July 1. The revised law requires child safety seats for children less than age four. The old law required child safety seats for children less than age three. Seat belts are also now required for all children less than age 12 in both the front and back seats of a vehicle. Only children less than age 6 were required to wear seat belts under the old law. The revision eliminates an exemption for vehicles regis tered in another state or juris diction. “Children are our most important resource,” said. Colonel R. A. Barefoot, Commander of the Highway Patrol. “This law will ensure parents are taking the neces sary precautions to protect their children while travel ing.” Outside High: Low: 90s 70s PARTLY CLOUDY High: Low: 90s 70s PARTLY CLOUDY High: Low: 90s 70s PARTLY CLOUDY
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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July 6, 1995, edition 1
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