Family Card 9/13/21 - Person Sheet
Family Card 9/13/21 - Person Sheet
NameLeroy Ray
Birth4 May 1926, Yancy Co., North Carolina
Death14 Dec 2008, Buncombe Co., North Carolina
BurialGreen Hills Cem., Asheville, Buncombe Co., North Carolina
FatherJohn Richard Ray (1892-1989)
MotherLillie Mae Fox (1899-1980)
Misc. Notes
Leroy Ray, 81, of Asheville passed away March 14, 2008.

Leroy was the son of Richard and Lillie Ray of the Cane River community in Yancey County.

He was born and grew up there along with his brothers and sisters and extended family. He attended Bald Creek School and was graduated from Burnsville High School.

Leroy was a veteran of WWII and served as an engineer with the rank of third class petty officer in the United States Navy aboard the USS Cherokee. He was honorably discharged in 1946. After leaving the service, Leroy worked in Detroit briefly in order to help support his family back home. Upon returning to the area, he was employed with the North Carolina State Department of Statistics and Planning of Highways.

In 1962, he founded Ray's Home Improvement Company. Leroy proved to be an "A-Number One Salesman" in what became his life's work. He truly loved serving the Western North Carolina area as a businessman of great integrity and was recognized by the Asheville Citizen-Times as a "Salesman for the Lord" in a newspaper article about his life.

Leroy was an active and faithful church member throughout his life. He was a member of both Abernethy and Central United Methodist Church for over 50 years. He served as an active member of the United Methodist Men for many years and was president of this organization four years during which time he attended the National Methodist Men's Conference at Purdue University in Indiana. He served as the program chairman for the Methodist Men's Prayer Breakfast which supported ministers in seminary.

Leroy was also extremely active in the community. He was a long time member of the Asheville Kiwanis Club and received the rare Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding sales abilities in fundraising for various projects and charities. He was also recognized for 30 years of perfect attendance in the Kiwanis Club.

Leroy served as an active member and served on the board of the Asheville Better Business Bureau for over 30 years. He was elected and served as the president of the West Asheville Business Men's Association. He founded "Leroy's Boys" in 1992. This was an informal men's fellowship group that met weekly to enjoy lunch and to share the latest jokes and funny stories.

Leroy could usually be found leading the fun no matter where he was with his outgoing personality and charming smile. Leroy never met a stranger; they were simply people whom he had not met. He will be remembered by his family and all who knew and loved him as a "one of a kind individual". He loved his family, his friends, his community, his country and the North Carolina Tar Heels. God has welcomed home an honorable man.

Leroy married Mary Farmer in 1957. They had three children. She preceded him in death. In 1987, he married Marie Roberts Flowers. Leroy always considered himself blessed to have married two well-educated women.

Uurial: Green Hills Cemetery. Military honors provided by the Buncombe County Veterans Council Memorial Team.
Spouses
Birth30 Dec 1931, North Carolina
Death11 Mar 1987, Buncombe Co., North Carolina
BurialGreen Hills Cem., Asheville, Buncombe Co., North Carolina
Marriage1957
Marriage1987
Last Modified 31 Jan 2019Created 13 Sep 2021 using Reunion for Macintosh
Revised September 13, 2021