Ray Ellis Williams

On May 14, 2014 Ray E. Williams, 81 of Lenoir, NC (formally of Mountain Home, NC, Duncan, SC and Elizabethton, TN lost his fight with cancer. He was a loving husband, wonderful Daddy and caring granddaddy. He was born on August 16, 1932 in Elizabethton, TN to the late Shafter L. and Mary Kate Williams. He graduated from Elizabethton High School and attended Milligan College and proudly served in the U.S. Navy for 3 years. In 1957 he began working for Piedmont Airlines and retired in 1990 after 34 years of service. In his spare time he loved to fish for crappie and trout, hunt and work in his garden. He also enjoyed rocking on the front porch drinking coffee and watching the hummingbirds with his wife of 50 years, Wanda H. Williams who died in June 2008. Ray had been a member of Lions Club International for over 30 years serving as Secretary – Treasurer of District 31-A Mountain Home Lions Club in Mountain Home, NC, and Lion Tamer of District 31-B Hudson Lions Club in Hudson, NC. He loved his church families at Oak Grove Christian Church in Arden, NC and Bethel Church of Christ in Morganton, NC. In addition to his parents and wife he is preceded in death by an infant son Christopher Ray, sister, Maloah Hatfield, paternal grandparents W. C. and Laura Williams, maternal grandparents Robert and Minnie Meredith. Surviving family include daughter Rebecca Parsons and her husband Wayne, of the home, granddaughter Shannon Edwards and her husband Lee, nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 5:00 until 6:30 PM on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at Evans Funeral Services, Lenoir, NC.  Funeral service will immediately follow visitation with Richard Via and Carl Bowles officiating.  A graveside service will be held Monday, May 19, 2014 at 3:00 PM in Roselawn Memory Gardens, Johnson City, TN. The family will receive family and friends 1 hour prior to graveside service. Upon Ray’s request in lieu of flowers please make contributions to Bethel Church of Christ, 415 Bethel Rd. Morganton, NC 28655 or Hudson Lions Club, 197 East St. Hudson, NC 28638 or Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood Street, NW Lenoir, NC 28645. The family would like to publicly thank all the staff, caregivers and volunteers at Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Carolina Rehab Center and Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care. The care given Daddy and the support that we received was wonderful. Online condolences may be sent to the Williams Family at www.evansfuneralservice.com Evans Funeral Service & Crematory of Lenoir is serving the Williams Family. PDF Printable Version