Celebrating the life of.....Henry David Ray

Funeral Service: Wednesday, November 29, 2017

11:30 AM

Friendship Baptist Church

520 Cotton Grove Road

Lexington, NC

Family Gathering: 419 Moore Street

Thomasville, NC

Obituary

Henry David Ray was born on December 6, 1928 in Whitmire, South Carolina to the late Calvin Woods and late Lucille Ray Epps. On November 21, 2017, Henry exchanged this life for eternal rest.

Henry was educated in South Carolina before moving to Thomasville with his parents at an early age. He was united in marriage to Ethel Douglas Ray who survives of the home.

He worked for Thomasville Furniture Industries for a short period. In 1952, he enlisted in the United States Army and served 20 years before retiring at the rank of Sergeant. He received the following medals during his service: Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and an Expert Badge in .45 Caliber Pistol. After retirement he transferred to the Army Reserves were he severed for three years at Ft. Mead, Maryland, before moving back to Thomasville.

He was a member of Friendship Baptist Church in Lexington, N.C., and he served the Thomasville Community as a Meals on Wheels volunteer. Henry often visited the elderly and provided transportation assistance to them around the local area. Henry was a friendly and talkative person who loved to share stories about his military experiences and vast travel around the world. He would talk about his various Army duty stations and the people he met on his military journey. Some of his duty stations included: Korea, Germany, South Carolina, Maryland, Missouri and Kentucky. He would often expressed his appreciation for the exposure and experiences that military life afforded him and his wife. He believed his military life presented him with opportunities to grow and develop as a socially-aware and cultured man and gave him an appreciation for people of other cultures.

He loved his family and loved children. Henry and his wife, Ethel loved to travel. They shared their blessings with their family especially his beloved mother. He will be remembered for his neat and polished appearance and warm disposition. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers; Charles Epps and William Epps.

Left to cherish his memory include his devoted wife of 72 years, Ethel Ray; one brother Floyd Epps of Chicago, IL; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.

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