It is with great sadness that I inform all the members of this website that Raymond Ware passed from our world this afternoon to join his beloved wife Bonnie.
At sometime in the future I would like to put together a memorandum for this website of your thought about Ray. I know many of you have never met the southern gentleman, nor I. But, I do know a few of you are distantly related.
I have so enjoyed our telephone conversations and the wonderful wit this man had to offer in his writings. I, personally feel a great loss.
Vicki
Obituary
Funeral services for Raymond Martin Ware age 87 of Woodland will be held Tuesday May 8, 2012 at 10:00 AM from Smyrna Baptist Church with Rev. Keith Rivers officiating. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery.
Mr. Ware passed away Saturday May 5, 2012 at Wedowee Hospital.
Mr. Ware is survived by a daughter Susan (Thomas) Ranew of Ocala, Fl; three sons Edward (Yvonne) Ware of Salt Springs, Fl, William (Mheng) Ware of Woodland and Robert (Judy) Ware of New Smyrna Beach, Fl; fourteen grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be family.
Mr. Ware was born September 22, 1924 the son of Thorson and Lilly Mae Ware. He was retired as Assistant Fire Chief for the City of Daytona Beach , Florida. He had also served part-time for NASCAR in fire rescue at Daytona Motor Speedway. He was a member of New Smyrna Baptist Church. He was a veteran of the United States Navy serving in World War II. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Bonnie Lee Bostic Ware.
The family will receive friends at Benefield Funeral Home- Wedowee on Monday May 7, 2012 from 6 till 8 PM. The body will lie in state at the church one hour prior to services.
I knew the heavens shone a little brighter last night and you can’t convince me it was just the big moon! Knowing that Ray was reuniting with his beloved wife, it is no wonder to me that the skies lit up with brightness. Although I never met Ray in person, I felt like I knew him so well because of his amazing writings. The man had such a way with words! Fortunately for us all, those words will live on – – to charm us over and over again. He has left an indelible mark on the world and all our hearts, and we are all the better for having known him. Ray reminds me so beautifully of the quote written by Thomas Campbell but “revised” a bit by others –
“To live in the hearts of those we love, is to never die.”
Bless you Ray – for blessing us!
It was with great emotional sadness that I received a phone call from Vicki last evening informing me of Ray’s sudden death. Although I did not know Ray personally, I was familiar with him by e-mail correspondence and his personal and unique style of writing posted to this website in many articles over the past few years. He will be missed and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.