OBITUARY VOYL ``RIGGY'' RIGGINS, FRIEND TO OAKS AND PEOPLE, AT 82.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

NEWHALL - Voyl ``Riggy'' Riggins, a longtime Newhall resident fondly known as the ``neighborhood godfather,'' died Friday in his sleep, family members said. He was 82.

The retired Los Angeles Police Department officer and former truck driver spent countless hours in the community working with local school groups, raising money for a variety of charities and recycling almost everything.

``He was very well-respected and loved,'' said Mardi Rivetti, a close family friend and neighbor. ``He was a unique man who definitely will be missed.''

Riggins moved to the Sand Canyon area in 1954 with his wife, Verna ``Pug'' Riggins. They were among the original homeowners of the area and watched neighborhoods grow in the rural community surrounding them.

Friends and neighbors said the man dedicated his life to helping others.

``He would lend his heart, his hand, his wisdom and his time to anybody,'' said Rivetti, adding that neighborhood kids would take their broken bikes to him to fix. ``We could always go to Rig.''

Riggins offered tractor lessons, was active in the Sulphur Springs PTA, raised money for the American Field Service Program, took in a foreign exchange student, belonged to the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Circle, hosted the Home Town Jamboree Barbecue, raised money to move the Mitchell Adobe to Heritage Park in Newhall and rebuild it, worked with the Sulphur Springs School District and formed the Prairie Dogs 4-H Club of Santa Clarita.

Riggy Riggins also recycled items that could no longer be used, dismantling them and transforming various parts and pieces into useful objects and then returning them to his neighbors.

``He was the world's best recycler before recycling ever started,'' neighbor, friend and co-worker Jurgen Stehnike said. ``He would take scrap lumber and turn it into firewood. He let nothing go to waste.''

Though many of his activities stopped in 1997 when Riggins suffered a stroke, limiting his speech and necessitating his use of a wheelchair, he still remained a mentor to many in the community who followed in his footsteps.

Riggins was also known for his charming, pleasant and funny personality.

``He always had a story to tell,'' Stehnike said. ``He always had a joke and knew how to tell them. You knew you were going to get a story when he walked through the door.''

In December, Riggins and his wife were recognized by Newhall residents for their nearly 50 years of service to the community. At the time, he was hospitalized after suffering an injury only days earlier and was unable to attend the ceremony.

In his honor, a tree was dedicated to Riggins and a plaque was posed adjacent to the oak tree that he nurtured most of his life.

``This tree is dedicated to our neighborhood godfather,'' the plaque read.

Riggins adopted the struggling sapling on Ravenglenn Road off Ravenhill Road in the Sand Canyon community after moving into the neighborhood.

Every day, the retired LAPD officer, who in his retirement became a truck driver, would bring it a bucket of water, providing it not only with necessary nutrients, but also his love.

A memorial service has been planned for 5 p.m. Thursday at the oak tree. In addition to his wife, Riggins is survived by their son Patrick and his wife Carol, and their two daughters, Marleigh and Chelsea.