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On September 28, 1956, a male child was born to Rawleigh Preaster Sr. and his wife, Hattie. Like most parents, Rawleigh Sr. and Hattie had great dreams and hopes for their newborn son, the fourth of their five children. Rawleigh Jr. and his four sisters — Rebecca, Armeather, Hattie (named after her mother), and baby Janie — formed the tight-knit family that would make their household in Providence, Rhode Island.
Rawleigh Sr. and Hattie raised their five children with strong Southern values, emphasizing love, discipline, manners and respect at the top of their list of expectations.
Rawleigh Sr. witnessed the horror of war as a member of the segregated U.S. Army while battling the forces of Japan in the Philippines in World War II. He said, “Like most men who fought in World War II, my father never told me about his war experience. But he still raised me, along with my four sisters, with military discipline. He and my mother stood shoulder to shoulder in raising our family. My values and outlook on life were shaped by two of the greatest heroes of my life.”
Rawleigh Preaster Sr., was a WWII veteran. PHOTO: PREASTER FAMILY
Rawleigh Jr. played baseball for much of his youth before venturing into the game of basketball. “I came to basketball due to the demolition of inner-city baseball, which was part of the destruction of poor neighborhoods through gentrification,” he said.
Enter mentor Jeff Wright, who saw something special in the soft-spoken, rapidly growing teenager. “I immediately saw Rawleigh’s desire to learn the game,” said Wright. “We would walk seven miles to East Providence to play some of the top players from that side of town, and we won many more times than we lost. We would travel as far as 10 miles to play and fortunately got rides home.”
Wright saw a striking improvement in Rawleigh as he grew five inches in one summer. “I couldn’t understand how so many coaches missed on recognizing Rawleigh’s talent. He just stayed quiet and kept getting better,” he said.
Rawleigh Preaster Jr. grew to a height of six feet six inches and played on the powerhouse Central High School team that won the state basketball title in 1974, one of seven straight state championships for the school that produced former ABA and NBA player Marvin Barnes. “Truth be told, the coach never gave Rawleigh a chance to be as good as he became — he did that on his own,” said Wright.
Rawleigh Preaster Jr. gained enough attention to earn a shot at playing basketball at Rhode Island Junior College, helping his team gain national attention and win the Region 21 championship, which advanced them to the National Junior College playoffs. He said, “My fondest memory of the trip to nationals came in meeting John Thompson, who would go on to become a Hall of Fame Coach at Georgetown University following his playing days with the Celtics.”
Rawleigh Jr. advanced up the basketball ladder by attending Springfield College, where he made a life-altering decision. “I gave up basketball after one year to concentrate on my studies. There were so many difficulties to overcome at Springfield. You had to fight for grades, housing, food and, most of all, respect. When the school told me that there was no available housing (dorms or any other place), I took it upon myself to find an off-campus apartment.”
He also provided a home and study facility for four roommates. “I refused to let them flunk out. I felt that if they left and went back to places like Newark, New Jersey, and New York City, they might die there. That’s the way it was back in those days. I was determined to get my degree and help my roommates get theirs.”
The collective thinking of this group of young Black men was that Rawleigh Jr. was a special person who thoroughly enjoyed helping others. He took the group under his wing, made them study, and never once asked to be thanked for helping them get through those tough times at Springfield College. None of them would have succeeded without his exceptional help and attention.
Rawleigh Preaster Jr. and his wife, Bernadette PHOTO: PREASTER FAMILY
Rawleigh Jr. graduated from Springfield in 1981 with a bachelor of science degree in community service and a minor in history. He worked for New England Telephone from 1984 to 2018 and met his wife, Bernadette, while on a service call to fix her phone. The two have three children: Shayla, Roy and Rawleigh III.
After playing over 50 years of competitive basketball, Rawleigh Jr. said, “I never lost my love for the game despite some of the difficult times and situations. I played on a lot of championship teams where I was not one of the star players but was an important member of the team — a lesson that I try to share with everyone I teach.”
This quiet gentleman, who has gained my undying admiration for his community service and love for teaching young people how to play basketball the right way, teaching them to live by his motto, “Respect the Game”, is a true hero to many. He spends his money to provide sneakers and other equipment to his students, along with invaluable [free] lessons on how to play the game he so passionately loves.
Rawleigh Preaster Jr. is a man who is loved by many people who have had the privilege of being in his company. His friend Jeff Wright said it best, “Rawleigh Preaster is a man with a heart of gold. I thank God every day that I had the chance to be in his life.”
Those exact words apply to the multitudes of individuals who Rawleigh Preaster Jr. has touched.
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