Leaving a Legacy

Mercy Hospital patients in Tishomingo recently received two gifts from the same couple that will affect generations to come, thanks to the kind and compassionate care received by Buck and Rosalva Rainey at Mercy Hospital Tishomingo. The legacy gift comes from Californians with local Tishomingo ties, Layne Rainey (youngest son of Bill and Rosalva) and his husband, Mike Lee.

Mercy Tishomingo was privileged to offer care to Buck and Rosalva Rainey over many decades. Dr. Bill G. "Buck" and Rosalva Rainey were longtime Tishomingo residents.

During a Summer 2021 online meeting, Layne Rainey announced a $876,000 trust gift pledge to Mercy Health Foundation supporting Mercy Tishomingo in memory of Buck and Rosalva Rainey, and in appreciation to all those that offered them such compassionate care. The generous donation will provide help in the effort to build a new Mercy Tishomingo facility.

"Layne and Mike are instrumental in helping bring to life the dream of a new facility for those in the Tishomingo area," said Lori McMillin, Mercy Hospital Tishomingo Administrator. "I want to thank them both for all they are doing for our community. We are very blessed."

Buck and Rosalva, married for over fifty years, were true loves. They both were very active in their community and passionate about their projects and careers. Among their many career accomplishments, Buck was a tenured professor and Chair of the Business College at East Central University, while Rosalva was the Chairman of the Home Economics Department at Murray State College. Buck Rainey passed away in 2009, while Rosalva passed away in 2020.

Rosalva was incredibly dedicated in her role as a caregiver for her husband, a dedication which was essential to his survival, following an automobile accident which rendered Buck paraplegic. Without Mercy Tishomingo as a local resource for care, Buck and Rosalva would have found it necessary to leave the community they loved and relocate themselves to a larger community for essential medical care.

Some might know Dr. Bill G. "Buck" Rainey as a B Western film historian and author of 17 published books on the subject. His lifetime passion for collecting and writing is now memorialized in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) Margaret Herrick Library in Los Angeles. The Dr. Bill G. "Buck" Rainey collection resides in the library as a resource to the film industry and others passionate about B Western Films.

"We are so very appreciative of Layne's kindness to Tishomingo, and we are more than excited to honor the memory of Buck and Rosalva, by offering compassionate care to others," said McMillin.

Layne's gift in memory if his parents is designated to support the construction of a new Mercy facility in Tishomingo. The gift will ensure that all patients and their families continue to have care in Tishomingo and the surrounding communities when they need it the most.

"Mercy Hospital Tishomingo saved my parents' lives numerous times," said Layne. "I am very passionate about Tishomingo having a community hospital. My parents both had health issues, and it would have been disastrous for my parents had there not been a local hospital to care for them."

There's no question Layne and Mike have touched the lives of many Tishomingo patients now and for generations to come. Many will benefit from their generosity.

"I hope that this gift will inspire others to give too," McMillin added. "Having expert medical care in rural Oklahoma is crucial."

The incredibly kind gift will continue to guarantee that patients get the care they need and deserve, locally.

"I want to help ensure that current and future residents of Tishomingo have a local community hospital to rely on," added Layne. "I am so very thankful for the medical care my parents received."

Following the initial gift announcement, Layne and Mike then set out to humble us all again in June 2022 by deciding they could also give back in another way to impact generations of Tishomingo area residents, by providing a significant $2.431 million dollar legacy gift pledge to Mercy Health Foundation supporting a new Mercy Tishomingo facility in the years to come. The gift will continue to honor both Layne and Mike's commitment to health care for those in southern Oklahoma, adding to their incredibly caring legacy.

Whether on paper or in action, the trailblazers Layne and Mike have given generous gifts that will continue serve as a compassionate voice for all.

"Mercy Health Foundation Tishomingo is extremely grateful to Layne and Mike for their incredibly generous support and commitment to the Tishomingo community," said Todd Essary, Executive Director of the Mercy Health Foundation.