After a short but valiant fight, Billy Dean Ray, age 66, succumbed to advanced lung cancer on Monday, July 22, in Nashville, TN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack & Lou Ray; mother-in-law Johnie Carter; sister-in-law Veronica Bowman; nephew Nathan Bowman; niece Olivia Perry; great niece Elizabeth Anna Gross; & great nephews Lucus Kane Brewer, Andrew Neal Ray, & Todd Michael Miller. He is survived by wife Toni Whitfield Ray; daughters Haley Oglesby (Matt) & Dinah Wade (Adam); granddaughters Caroline Oglesby & Kathryn & Ashley Wade; brothers Pat Ray (Shonia) & David Ray (Kaka); sisters-in-law Melonie Hanson & Amanda Perry; brother-in-law Kelly Bowman, & numerous nieces & nephews. Pall bearers are Pat Ray, Robert Coleman, Troy Crawford, Gary Casteel, Andy Ray, & Dan Casteel.
Born in Knoxville, TN across the river from Neyland Stadium, he moved to Florence, AL at age 3. He defiantly remained a Tennessee Vols fan all his life. He grew up fishing, hunting, fighting with his brothers, & running wild with his cousins & the rest of the multitudes of kids in his Magnolia Park neighborhood. From his dad, the king of one-liners, he learned to be witty, help who needs helping, protect who needs protecting, and, above all, if you’re gonna be dumb, you’d better be tough.
He went to school impatiently & under duress. He attended Powell Elementary & Appleby Junior High, where, when made class monitor when the teacher left the room, truthfully put his own name at the top of the list of misbehaving students. He graduated from Bradshaw High School. He completed the Local 760 pipefitter’s apprentice program, where he learned his trade, an appreciation for hard work, & to take pride in his work.
At 18, he met 17 year old Toni Whitfield, & fell so hard that he professed his love on their 3rd date & gave her an engagement ring 3 months later. He added a wedding ring the next year because she was just as crazy about him, & they remained happily married for the next 46 years.
He raised his two daughters by teaching them what he knew – fishing, hunting, & doing a job right. He taught them how to tie a knot, cast a line, how to change their oil & air up their tires, to never take themselves too seriously, & to appreciate good music & the value of a good prank.
He moved back to Tennessee in the late 80s to work at Ford Glass Plant. Putting his family first as usual, he settled them in Franklin because of the great school system. He watched his girls play softball, went to awards ceremonies, & became an involved Franklin High School band parent.
Back at work, he gave up pipefitting for a few years to become the benefits representative. It didn’t take long for him to return to pipefitting. He was known for running the “Sawdust Cafe,” where he cooked anything you can think of in his cast iron dutch oven. He walked miles over the concrete floors with his flat feet & worked in the rafters even though he was afraid of heights.
After a long career, he retired early to take care of his mom & his wife & to spend even more time than his granddaughters. Just like with his daughters, he loved to take his granddaughters everywhere he went. He also kept them well supplied with “stuck together cookies,” muffins, waffles, & any Little Debbie that their hearts desired. He loved to keep all kinds of sweets in the house, using the granddaughters as an excuse to buy them.
His favorite thing to do was take the entire family to the Smoky Mountains. The trips began in a pop up camper & expanded to cabins as the family grew. He liked to load the girls up in the back of the truck & drive through Cades Cove. There were also numerous trips to eat at Calhoun’s, play Davy Crockett putt putt, and ride the goat coaster. He loved to cook on these trips & grilled enough bratwurst & hamburgers to feed three armies.
Most of all, he quietly & fiercely loved his friends & family. He was always ready to lend a helping hand by mowing yards, fixing what needed to be fixed, smoking hams, baking chocolate cakes, or giving money. And he never wanted anything in return. That’s just the kind of man he was.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Thomley Foundation, PO Box 1562, Brentwood, TN 37024 or the Laura Casteel Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1975 Neptune Rd, Ashland City, TN 37015.
A funeral service will be held at 11AM Friday, July 26, 2024 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Williamson Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers are Pat Ray, Robert Coleman, Gary Casteel, Dan Casteel, Andy Ray, and Troy Crawford. Visitation will be 4:00PM-7:00PM Thursday, July 25th and one hour prior to the service on Friday.
