Allison "Al" M. Rivers

LOS ANGELES- Allison McCoy Rivers, or Al, Big Al or if you knew him long enough, Toolie,79, of Henderson, passed away Sunday, January 11, 2026. Born May 2, 1946, he was the son of the late Furney and Dorothy Rivers. Al loved a lot of things. When he loved, he loved very deeply. All animals held a very special place in his heart. If a deer was in his yard, he would leave apples or salt licks out for them. Especially in winter. He even convinced Brandy to take on a third husky, because the foster name was Mickey. Mickey was the name of the first dog he and Patsy had after Brandy was born. He had a passion for sports, his favorite teams were NC State, Carolina Panthers, Dodgers baseball, so much you could often catch him yelling at the TV. Al cherished Saturday morning breakfasts with his friends, traveling the world, good home cooked meals, his hometown and his family, especially his daughter Brandy.

He was dedicated to his career, mostly focused on helping people. He worked at Heinz and Harriet & Henderson both in Human Resources where he fought to make sure all of his workers had an excellent working experience. For more than 30 years he was a Real Estate Broker helping people make their home dreams come true. He also loved working with many commercial buyers. He enjoyed his many years with Coldwell Banker Advantage.

We will miss his perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs, playing spades, sharing appetizers with beers, and traveling the world as a family. And we are saddened he didn't get to play one more round of golf with his friends.

He is survived by wife, Patsy Rivers, daughter, Brandy Rivers, son in law, James Wynne, and those precious granddogs, Sansa, Rocky & Mickey; a brother, Robert Rivers, wife, Robyn, sisters-in-law, Mary Susan Rivers, Rosa Walker, husband William, and Shirley Royster, brothers-in-law, Larry Parker, wife Laurie; nephews, Johnny Royster Jr, wife Lisa, Jamie Royster, wife, Nikki, Andrew Parker, wife, Lee, Lance Parker, wife, Tangelia and Josh Parker, wife, Kate.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Terry Rivers, sister-in-law, Joyce Parker, brother-in-law, John (Eddie) Royster, and nephew, William Walker Jr.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. at J M White Funeral Home in Henderson by Rev Milton Abbott. The family will receive friends following the service at J.M. White Funeral Home. At other times they will be at the home on Fernwood Creek Court.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be, William Lewis Fuller, Harry Jackson Carter, Boyd Taylor, Jim Sargent, Doug Capps, Mike Garrett Bob Hubbard, Sr., David Mitchell, Charlie Keeter, Tim Hunter, Bob Slack, Sherby Slaughter, Hal Mahler, Mike Satterwhite, Willie, Parrish, Billy Stanton, Stuart Harris, and Brantley Pegram

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society, 165 US Hwy 158 Bypass, Henderson, NC 27537 or online at RCAPS Facebook .