Gerald Truman Ray, age 92, passed away on February 7, 2016 in Buffalo, Missouri.
Jerry was born in Iowa on October 23, 1923. He lived in Humansville, Missouri until he joined the U.S. Navy during World War II where he served on the U.S.S. San Francisco. After the war, he lived in Colorado, California and Missouri and worked in the grocery business until he retired in 1986 in Springfield. He continued working part-time into his 80s for Jordan Cash Register, a family-owned business. When he and Peggy married in 2005, he moved to Buffalo.
Jerry was a fun-loving person, well loved and admired, who never met a stranger and was always willing to lend a helping hand to family and friends. He was a good Christian and a member of the Free Will Baptist Church in Buffalo.
An avid golfer in later years, he spent many memorable moments with golfing buddies at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Republic and in the senior league at Dream Valley Golf Course in Buffalo. He was a league bowler for many years and took up dancing at 82 when he and Peggy met.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Eldon and Bernice Ray, two brothers Bill and Robert, his first wife Mildred, and brother-in-law Ray Burrell. He is survived by his wife, Peggy (and her extended family), daughter Bonnie Wilcox (John), sisters Lucy Dixon (Jerald) and LaVerne Burrell, brother Phillip, sister-in-law Marjorie Ray, two granddaughters Wendy Miller (Nate) and Holly Wilcox, along with four great-grandchildren, Johnny, Emery and Tommy Miller, Chloe Smith, and a host of nieces and nephews.
A memorial celebration of his life will be held at Free Will Baptist Church, 653 E. Main St., Buffalo, Mo. on Saturday, February 13, 2016. Visitation begins at 1:00 p.m. with the service following at 2:00 p.m.