Author. Born James Oliver Rigney, Jr. in Charleston, South Carolina, he attended The Citadel Military College of South Carolina and graduated with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. He published his first novel, "The Fallon Blood", in 1980, and completed the trilogy with "The Fallon Legacy" in 1982 under the pen name Reagan O'Neal. He then wrote seven "Conan the Barbarian" novels for the publishing house Tor, over the next two years. His most popular work, however, was the series known as "The Wheel of Time", the first volume of which, "The Eye of the World", was published in 1990. Ten more volumes in the saga followed before he announced, in 2006, that he had been diagnosed with primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, a rare blood disorder. He hoped to beat the disease and continued to work on the final volume of the "Wheel of Time" series, tentatively called "Memory of Light", but died at 58 before the book was complete.
Author. Born James Oliver Rigney, Jr. in Charleston, South Carolina, he attended The Citadel Military College of South Carolina and graduated with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. He published his first novel, "The Fallon Blood", in 1980, and completed the trilogy with "The Fallon Legacy" in 1982 under the pen name Reagan O'Neal. He then wrote seven "Conan the Barbarian" novels for the publishing house Tor, over the next two years. His most popular work, however, was the series known as "The Wheel of Time", the first volume of which, "The Eye of the World", was published in 1990. Ten more volumes in the saga followed before he announced, in 2006, that he had been diagnosed with primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, a rare blood disorder. He hoped to beat the disease and continued to work on the final volume of the "Wheel of Time" series, tentatively called "Memory of Light", but died at 58 before the book was complete.
Bio by: Iola
Inscription
BORN OCTOBER 17. 1948
DIED SEPTEMBER 16. 2007
FATHER STORYTELLER
SOLDIER SINGER
BELOVED HUSBAND OF
HARRIET STONEY POPHAM RIGNEY
BORN AUGUST 4. 1939
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