ROME, Ga. — James Rayburn's life touched his family. His name, whether he was called Pops or Mr. Mayor or Superman or Daddy, impacted a community. Marissa and Nicole Rayburn grew up in Rome, seeing their father's feats stand out on the softball diamond. His character, they said, stood out to them.
“He was the glue that held everything together," Nicole said. “He had a certain spot on people’s hearts. People cherished that, whether he was a papa to them, or a dad or brother, he really touched people that he met.”
Rayburn worked for the city of Rome water department for 23 years. Rome Police said around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Rayburn and Michael Walters were replacing a water main on Coosawattee Avenue. Suddenly, dirt and concrete collapsed on them, leaving them trapped in a hole. Police said Walters was able to climb his way to safety, but Rayburn had to be rescued by fire and emergency crews. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 55 years old.
Marissa said her mother told her the news just after midnight. A sleepless night followed, and the processing continues after her father's passing.
“They told us he didn’t make it," Marissa said. "They don’t make people like him. He’d give you the shirt off his back. My daddy’s morals were top-tier. They always say a girl’s dad is her first love. That man was my first love and my greatest heartbreak.”
Marissa looked to her dad's dedication as an employee. She said her father helped get her a job with the Rome water department nearly ten years ago, and she has enjoyed the job ever since.
"It’s kind of harder knowing the risks," Marissa said. "You kind of have an idea of what happened in your head, and I think that hurts more. You can ask anyone who works for the city, you ask about my daddy, and I promise you won’t find anyone who would say anything bad about him.”
The sisters spoke to how their father would volunteer with emergency management and the fire department, how he would often help the community try to clean up the town. He even helped underprivileged kids get gifts just in time for Christmas.
"You just want to wake up," Nicole said. "I feel like I’m dreaming. I just want somebody to shake me and tell me it’s not real. I just hope he didn’t suffer. I just didn’t want him to suffer.”
Rayburn's body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab to further examine his official cause of death. In the meantime, the city of Rome will hire a third-party municipal risk consultant to lead the investigation into what happened at the work site. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it was not investigating because it did not have jurisdiction over municipal employees.
Marissa and Nicole are choosing to lean on the family they have left in the wake of the family they lost.
“A lot of people are hurt, not just our family," Nicole said. "The city, this town, this community, the softball community, everyone is grieving. It’s not something that’s going to go away.”
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