Family remembers Willie ‘Dub’ Massey’s legacy in the Friendship 9

ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) - Willie “Dub” Massey spent his life standing up for others — first as one of the Friendship Nine, then as an educator, counselor, and community leader.

He died on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the age of 84.

Now, his family is remembering not just the man who helped make history, but also the husband and father they will miss dearly.

“He was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me in my life,” his wife Joyce Massey said.

Dub Massey was one of nine young men who took a stand against segregation in 1961. They were arrested after a sit-in at the former McCrory store in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and chose jail instead of paying bail.

Dub Massey’s wife says that courage helped inspire change across the country.

“Of course, it has spread through the United States. He was a very loving person, he knew how to get across to people, and he loved everybody,” Joyce Massey said.

The Friendship Nine’s convictions were vacated in 2015.

Their history lives on at the Kounter restaurant, where people can sit at the same lunch counter that housed the historic 1961 protest.

“If we continue to talk about the history of what happened then I think we’re good,” said Rob Masone, Kounter’s owner and chef. “Keeping that history alive is important. If we don’t talk about it, then history will tend to repeat itself.”

The Masseys’ children say their father’s greatest lessons weren’t just about making history, but were also about how you treat people.

Dub Massey’s son and oldest child, William Massey, says his father taught him that “great leaders lead from behind.”

“You have to understand that everybody is somebody, and everybody in this world has a story to tell,” William Massey said.

“He was a pillar of this community and what an amazing person to call dad,” his daughter Jennifer Massey said.

The family says they’ll miss Dub Massey’s humor, wisdom, and the way he loved people.

Hearing from so many people whose lives he touched has brought them comfort.

“The outpouring of just everybody expressing how much my daddy meant to them ... it was a job well done,” Jennifer Massey said.

For this family, Dub Massey’s legacy isn’t just what he did in 1961. They remember him for how he lived every day after, and for the people he inspired along the way.

Funeral services for Dub Massey are planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Transformation Center in Rock Hill.

---> From earlier this year: York County remembers Reverend Jesse Jackson, close community ties