RAINELLE W.Va. (WVDN) – On January 9, the town of Rainelle and all Western Greenbrier County suffered a heart wrenching loss.
Paul Raines, the proprietor of Rainelle’s Western Auto store for over 48 years, passed away at the Peyton Hospice House in Lewisburg after a battle with cancer.
Raines was a community hero who never knew a stranger and always had a smile on his face.
A little over eight years ago, and right after the devastating floods that affected so many people, Raines was also affected as he went into his Western Auto shop and saw the unthinkable.
“I came into my shop the morning after the flood of 2016, saw the damage, and cried like a baby for about five minutes,” Raines told the WVDN last year.
Not one to give up, Raines rebuilt what he had worked so hard for and continued to serve the community which he loved so much.
The shop is now owned by Jeremy and JoAnna Willis, who took over the reins in the fall of 2023. Jeremy Willis had known his whole life. Dating back to when he was just a baby, Willis recalls those memories and was straightforward about what meant to him.
“Neighbor, mentor, and friend,” Willis said when asked how he got to know over the years.
“I’ve known Paul all my life. Literally, he changed my diaper as a baby. From car shows, shooting basketball with Lindsey—Paul’s daughter– and him, or riding four-wheelers on Sundays, I’ve been around Paul all my life. He created an opportunity for my family, and in me, he saw the businessman he wanted to carry on his great legacy in the community he dearly valued,” Willis said.
Those were the values that led Willis and his wife to agree to purchase Western Auto from his lifelong mentor.
“Paul had been after us for a while to purchase Western Auto. With our other business we just didn’t see how we could do it. After much prayer and many meetings later, we felt this was the best decision for our family and community. And if you knew Paul, you knew he was one heck of a salesman. Once he wanted something, he went for it. There was no difference when he selected us to be his protégés. Being a native to Rainelle, I value my hometown. Not only do I want my children to grow up in Rainelle, but I also want them to return here and work. The only way for that to happen is for folks to invest in Rainelle. Paul knew that. He saw that my wife and I are driven individuals and would nurture Western Auto and give back to our community,” Willis explained.
Raines and his wife, Vicky, suffered a personal tragedy of their own in 2006. Their daughter, Lindsey, who shared her dad’s passion for riding Harleys, passed away unexpectedly. The loss was mourned by more than just Lindsey’s parents.
Brittany Ennis, a lifelong family friend, was also Lindsey’s best friend. Brittany and Lindsey had been close since they were toddlers, and it was a relationship that carried into adulthood.
“I had the pleasure of growing up with Paul’s daughter, Lindsey,” Ennis said.
“We met before kindergarten and were best friends all throughout school. I can tell you one thing for certain; Paul and Vicky loved their daughter more than anything. She was the light of their life,” she added.
started a scholarship fund in memory of his daughter so that kids could continue their education and do it in a way so that Lindsey would be remembered forever.
“Paul loved his community and helping others. I knew it made him so happy seeing people from all over to come support that cause, and each year it grew bigger and bigger, “Ennis said.
There is also a wrestling tournament named after Lindsey, and it just took place this season at the end of December in Charmco.
Just like many others, Ennis will never forget the impact that Paul and Vicky had on her.
“While growing up with her, they became like my second parents, and I will forever cherish that. He was a very well-respected man, and many looked up to him. Our community lost a great man, but his memory will live on forever,” Ennis concluded.
Known as a gigantic Greenbrier West Cavalier superfan, Raines would ride his Harley Davidson motorcycle on the field and lead the Cavaliers football team out of the tunnel prior to each home game and did that for many years. He just had a special place in his heart for the school and its teams.
“West meant community for Paul,” Willis said.
“Being on the west side of the county, people often count us out. He knew that for Rainelle to thrive, we needed to take care of our youth. With his business success, he created opportunities for the sports programs. Whether it was monetary, cranking up the Harley on Friday night or motivation on the sideline. He was always loyal to the students and coaches, win or lose. He had vision for past, present and future of what it could be and is today,” he added.
Lorrie Thompson Thomas was a good friend of Raines’ and worked closely with him for years. She told several stories about how he could sell anything to anyone and came up with so many ideas for the community and Greenbrier West High School that there is probably never a way he could be thanked enough.
He also never let negative experiences bother him in the slightest.
“He was always, always trying to find the brighter side,” Thomas said.
“The one thing I will really miss is when Paul called on the phone. Before he hung up, he would say “Love ya, mean it.” I knew he meant it. And I’ll never hear that again,” Thomas stated.
The way Raines lived his life will forever be the cornerstone of his memory. He will be missed by all who knew him, but obviously, never forgotten.
