A pastor from North Carolina who recently celebrated his 100th birthday has died.
Roy Jernigan was thrust into the spotlight worldwide after he decided to celebrate his 98th birthday by skydiving. He died on Feb. 28 from natural causes.
"I appreciate all of you that faithfully followed him and enjoyed his services," said Roy's daughter. "Preaching was his life and he loved the Lord with all his heart. He lived what he preached."
In an interview in 2023, Jernigan said his next challenge was to make it to 100 years old and then do it again. Instead, he chose to take the safer route, celebrating with friends and family over lunch.
"When people ask what I attribute my longevity to, I say the good Lord and black coffee, and in that order."
His funeral was held on Saturday and his daughter says he planned the entire thing from who was singing to who was speaking.
"I believe he would have been proud of everyone," said his daughter, Linda. "The music was amazing, all the singers did wonderful. The words spoken by each person showed how much Pastor Roy meant to so many people. He had the best stories, that you could listen to for hours."
The family hopes that Pastor Roy's legacy of being a servant for the Lord will be carried on for years to come.