Charles Richard Ray

Candler - Charles Richard Ray, 67, of 549 Case Cove Road, went to be with his Lord on Tuesday, August 3, 2004 at Emerald Ridge Rehab and Care Center following a period of declining health. A lifelong resident of Buncombe County, he retired in 1987 from the Asheville Citizen-Times following 34 years of service. Following his retirement from the Citizen-Times, he served as a custodian for 9 years at Trinity United Methodist Church. He was a member of New Morgan Hill Baptist Church, where he also served as custodian for 25 years. Mr. Ray was a son of the late Bascombe Arthur Ray and Elsie Ray Woodby. Surviving are his wife, Jeneil Scott Ray of the home; son, David Brion Ray and wife Vickie of Candler; two daughters: Suzanne Plemmons and husband Chris and Cindy Cox and husband Jerry, all of Candler; a sister, Gladys Morrison of Candler; a brother, Clarence Ray of Asheville; a half-brother, Edward Woodby of Washington State; and eight grandchildren, Jessica Ray, Emily Ray, Samantha Ray, Adam Fayssoux, Amanda Fayssoux, Alex Plemmons, Trevor Cox and Cameron Cox. Funeral services will be held at 6 PM Thursday in the chapel of Anders-Rice Funeral Home with the Revs. Roy Houston and Lee Davis officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the services at the funeral home . Burial will be at 10:30 AM Friday in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Active Pallbearers will be David Ray, Chris Plemmons, Adam Fayssoux, Thomas Fayssoux, Jerry Cox, Gary Robinson, Charlie Treadway and Maurice Clark. Honorary Pallbearers will be Clarence Ray and Roger Boone. Memorials may be made to New Morgan Hill Baptist Church Building Fund, 370 Lake Drive, Candler, N.C. 28715. Our family would like to thank Dr. Robert Wells and Ms. Nancy Wilson for their care and concern for Charles during his 6 years at Emerald Ridge Health Care. We would also like to thank the many CNAs and nurses for their support and understanding of his illness. A very special thank you to Dr. Robert Barker for everything you have done for Charles over the years prior to his admittance to the nursing facility. We appreciate all of you. The Lord saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be so He put His arms around you and he whispered Come with me. With tearful eyes, we watched you suffer and saw you fade away, although we loved you dearly, we could not make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, a beautiful smile at rest, God broke our hearts to prove He only takes the best. Its lonesome here without you we miss you so each day, our lives arent the same since you went away. When days are sad and lonely, and everything goes wrong, we seem to hear you whisper, cheer up and carry on. Each time we see your picture you seem to smile and say dont cry, Im in Gods Hands, well meet again someday. We love you!!! Jeneil, Cindy, Suzanne and David