Rainie Addison was born September 10, 1920, in St. Stephen, South Carolina, a son of the late Isaiah Gadsden and Janie Addison Pinckney Thomas. He was educated in Berkeley County and joined the St. Stephen Baptist Church to begin his worship. He served in the Armed Forces from 1941-1945. After receiving an honorable discharge with medals and stars, he began working as a TV and radio repairman. He moved to New York in 1946 and settled in the Freeport area. He met and married Mable Bridges in 1951 and moved to the Lakeview area. He worked as a construction laborer with Local 66 until his retirement in 1980. In 1970, he was ordained by Reverend Charles W. Durden of the Second Baptist Church in Rockville Centre, New York. Shortly thereafter, he organized and built the Free Will Baptist Church, where he labored for thirty-eight years. He furthered his religious training by studying at Virginia University School of Theology, Bethel Bible Institute and the New York Theological Seminary. He traveled to the Holy Land on several occasions and enjoyed running revivals and traveling with his singing group, the Four Stars. Reverend Addison was an excellent gardener and fisherman and could cook a mean pot of cabbage and sweet potato pies. He enjoyed smothered pork chops and chicken and Mister Goodbars and ice cream for dessert. He was a simple, down-to-earth, ordinary man who loved to shop at Western Beef and eat bags of roasted peanuts. His favorite pastime was waiting for Mister Softee with his grandbabies. He was unforgettable with his southern hospitality and friendly disposition. Everywhere he went, people knew him and spoke of him with kindness. He was known to some as Bubba, Rev, Mister Rainie, or Pastor. On Wednesday, October 29, 2008, Reverend Addison answered the call, "Well done thy good and faithful servant, Enter now into the joy of thy Lord." He will be missed by the entire community. He leaves to cherish his memory: a devoted daughter, Leta Lester; son-in-law, Fred Lester; granddaughters, Zaria and Ziamara, Markiah, Heaven and Felicia; grandsons, Tyler, Quincy and Anthony; daughters, Debbie Burns, Esther, Sabrina, Muriel Addison, James Britt, Frank and Daniel Addison; six nieces; two nephews; one sister, Elizabeth Dingle; and a host of cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mable B. Addison, his sister, Mable Dessaure, and brother, Namon Gadsden. We are sad that you are gone, but will forever hold your memories dear to heart. You left a part of you with each of us, that we will never forget. Take your rightful place and enjoy your rest from labor. As Mary Hall would sing, "Sit down servant and rest a little while."