Obit – Mr. Ronnie Ray
A 70 year old Carthage resident, Mr. Ronnie Ray, died at 7:53 p.m. Wednesday evening, February 15, 2023, at the Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin where he was admitted February 7th, suffering from the effects of Covid.
Eld. Anthony Dixon officiated at the 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, February 19th, funeral services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home. Burial followed beside his brother, Billy Wayne Ray, in the Dias section at the Dixon Springs Cemetery.
Mr. Ray was one of ten children and was born Ronnie Dale Ray in the Dixon Springs community on August 13, 1952 and was the fifth born child of the late Eld. Paul W. Ray, who died at the age of 59 on December 3, 1984, and Dovie Irene Moore Ray, who died at the age of 80 on May 31, 1997.
Eight of his nine siblings preceded him in death. They were Pauley Lee Ray, who died at 15 days of age on November 15, 1945, Charlie Lee Ray, who died at the age of four months on November 6, 1957, Lonnie G. Ray, who died January 3, 1986 at the age of 32, Billy Wayne Ray, Roy Neil Ray, Mary Earlene Ray, who died February 5, 2011 at the age of 54, Glenn Ray and Reba Ray Stevens.
Mr. Ray was saved at an early age and later joined the Zion Missionary Church by baptism which was performed by his son, Eld. Terry Ray.
He was retired from the Dana Corporation where he was employed for over seventeen years and at the time of his death he and his daughter-in-law, Kim, owned and operated the R & R Buildings on Gordonsville Highway in South Carthage which markets portable buildings.
Mr. Ray was a longtime member of the Difficult Masonic Lodge #451 and was active in assisting the Smith County Fair Board during the week of the fair.
Mr. Ray is survived by his only child, a son, Eld. Terry Ray, pastor of the Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Hartsville, and Terry’s wife, Kim; his only surviving sibling, a sister, Olyne Ray Wrinkle of Hartsville; four grandchildren, Nicole Ray Alexander and husband, Travis, Eld. Steven Ray and wife, April, all of the Elmwood community, Sara Ray Torrence and husband, Bo, Emma Ray, all of the Chestnut Mound community; seven great-grandchildren listed by birth order, Reagan Ray, Eli Alexander, Graham Ray, Harper Alexander, Jaxon Torrence, Noah Alexander, and Maddie Torrence.
The Ray family requests memorials to the Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
