By Kurt Culbert, NCSSA President
Their intentions are ruthless, these scammers who spend days and nights trying to coax good people out of hard earned money. They’re also relentless, sending texts and emails impersonating officers of organizations to try and get other officers to send money.
For Rebecca and me, they sort of became a bit of shared humor, often highlighting the notes with broken English asking her to send gift cards because I was “trying to feed the homeless persons.”
One phoney character even signed off with “Sincerely” - prompting me to joke with Rebecca that I’d never use sincerely!
The imposters, though, they had nothing on this cancer. And this cancer? It was no laughing matter.
Rebecca Cloninger passed away Sunday, following a valiant battle with cancer. She was 50. She leaves behind her husband, Jason, and two daughters Corrie and Josie. The entire skeet community joins her family in mourning Rebecca’s loss. Her impact, most recently as the NCSSA Treasurer, was mighty.
We all know people like Rebecca. They’re some of the favorite people in your lives. She was the epitome of a “get it done” kind of teammate. And she played that role masterfully as an executive with Cloninger’s Incorporated and several clubs and organizations she helped operate. Simply put, Rebecca helped keep the train on the tracks.
One needs only to look at the children of someone to understand what kind of parent they are. Rebecca and Jason have raised two strong, independent and successful daughters in Corrie and Josie. They’re respected near and far for their talents in traversing the eight-station skeet field, but that respect and admiration extends beyond their talents and into their conduct and behavior. Their character is a reflection of a mother who was ever-present, always leading by quiet, powerful example.
Her legacy echoes far and wide, yet it finds its clearest voice in Corrie and Josie.
Josie won the NC Junior State Championship just two weeks ago. My son, Reid, won the Sub Junior. The first congratulations note I got? It was Rebecca. It came before we even got the awards ceremony completed. That’s the humility and genuine demeanor she always displayed. It was not uncommon for her to get as excited for other kids’ success as the parents and kids themselves.
Just last week, Rebecca shared one of those silly imposter emails my way. The scammer noted his “credence” in her taking care of sending gift cards. Heck, even the fraudster knew she was reliable.
I’m thankful Rebecca is healed from the terrible disease, no doubt living out her faithful promise in Heaven. I’ll bet there are no scammers there.
Godspeed Rebecca Cloninger.
Sincerely Your friend,
Kurt