Raised in Banner and Cedar Bluff, Virginia, Rex A. Tickles moved with his close-knit family of seven brothers and sisters to Kansas City, Kansas. While serving in the U.S. Navy, he met his wife of 40 years and enjoyed filling his life with service to family and friends. On a Saturday in Oct. 2012, an early morning phone call proved to be as ominous as the hour suggested. "The reality of our sudden loss was made easier by the comfort of knowing he would have the opportunity to help others, and to live on through them as well," recalled his daughter Tina. "Through the gift of bone and tissue donation, he continues to serve others in a new way."

Rex's Story

Rex A. Tickles was born in the beautiful mountains of western Virginia in 1949. Raised in Banner and Cedar Bluff, he moved with his close-knit family of seven brothers and sisters to Kansas City, Kansas. During the Vietnam-era he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Oriskany, and while stationed in San Francisco met his wife of 40 years.

After his military service, they moved back to Kansas City, where he worked at the General Motors Fairfax plant for more than 32 years, laid carpet in his off time, and raised a daughter and son where they could always be surrounded by family and friends. In a lifetime of memories, he enjoyed riding motorcycles, college football games, NASCAR races, camping, boating, fishing and family weekends at Lake of the Ozarks. Rex's greatest passions included spending time with family and friends, whether at an out-of-state wedding, a fish fry down the street, or Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings. Being surrounded by those he loved was the most important part of his life.

According to his son Lucas, Rex was also known for helping others. "When others needed a friend to call for help building a deck, moving, joining them at a football game or just to be there when others could not, they called Rex. He enjoyed filling his life with service to family and friends."

On a Saturday in Oct. 2012, an early morning phone call proved to be as ominous as the hour suggested. "It would become one of the longest days in our lives as we awaited additional monitoring, testing and confirmation from the neurologist," recalled his daughter Tina. "After we were notified of Rex’s prognosis, we were assisted by a social worker from Midwest Transplant Network. The reality of our sudden loss was made easier by the comfort of knowing he would have the opportunity to help others, and to live on through them as well.

"Through the gift of bone and tissue donation, he continues to serve others in a new way. Sharing his generosity and dedication to helping others, as he did in life, provided us with comfort and strength during our unexpected loss. Our father lives on through others and we are so grateful to Midwest Transplant Network for helping us through the process during a difficult time and for respecting our needs as a family."

Tina sums up their experience with a quote from Anthony Brandt: "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."