Rev. William C. Ray (Bro. Bill Ray) went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus, on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Irene Ray, his brothers, John Ray, Jr., and Tom Ray, and his sister, Doris Ray Radcliff. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Charlene Williams Ray, his children, Melanie Ray Twyman (Tony Twyman), Kevin Ray Cathy Simon Ray) and Valette Ray Smith (Greg Smith), all of Elizabethtown, 9 grandchildren, Colin Twyman (McKenna Poole Twyman), Ashley Ray Poole (Michael Poole), Will Steen, Nick Steen, Tyler Twyman (Tanya Twyman); Arin Twyman; Jordan Stickell, Emily Smith and Ricki Ann Smith, and a nephew, Dennis Radcliff, and niece, Jocelyn Radcliff Wires, and her children, Lori, Dustin and Brad. Bill was born in Camp Taylor, Kentucky, on December 19, 1929, and raised in the St. Matthews area of Louisville. He graduated from Male High School, in Louisville, and he attended Mars Hill College, in Mars Hill, North Carolina, and finished his bachelors degree at Mississippi College, in Clinton, Mississippi. He attended Southern Baptist Seminar in Louisville, Kentucky, and finished his master's of divinity degree at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, in New Orleans, Louisiana, after meeting his bride while serving at Lee’s Creek Baptist Church in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Bill served as minister of music for Lee's Creek Baptist Church in Bogalusa, Louisiana; First Baptist Church in Hammond, Louisiana; West Laurel Baptist Church in Laurel, Mississippi; as education and music minister for First Baptist Church in Somerset, Kentucky, and Woodland Hills Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, and beginning in 1969 as education minister and later associate pastor for Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, partially retiring in 1994 and then serving Severns Valley for many more years, part-time, as the minister of visitation to homebound members, for a total of 40 years in service at Severns Valley. Bill loved his family, his church and church family, and, above all, his Lord and Savior, and served all of them faithfully and with the love and kindness of Jesus. He was dearly loved by his family and will be missed by many, but his family celebrates his life and is thankful that he is more alive now than he has ever been in the glories of Heaven. The funeral will be at 2:00 p.m., on Sunday, October 23, 2016, in the worship center at Severns Valley Baptist Church, Elizabethtown. Burial will immediately follow in Elizabethtown Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be on Sunday, October 23, 2016, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., also in the worship center at Severns Valley. The family requests expressions of sympathy take the form of contribution to the new building fund of Severns Valley Baptist Church, 1100 Ring Road, Elizabethtown, KY 42701.

Visitation:

Sunday, October 23, 2016 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Severns Valley Baptist Church

Service:

Sunday, October 23, 2016 starting at 2:00 PM
Severns Valley Baptist Church