Loren Spurgeon Ray

June, 24, 1929 - November 15, 2021

Loren Spurgeon Ray of Fort Myers passed away peacefully on November 15, 2021.

He was a longtime chemistry teacher at Cypress Lake High School in Fort Myers from 1965-1992. He also served as head of the science department there for many years.

The son of Clifford Spurgeon Ray and Vannie Allen Ray, Loren was born in Barnardsville, NC. He was the 5th of seven children who grew up during the Great Depression, and the last surviving member of his generation in the family. He graduated from Lee Edwards High School in Asheville, NC in 1947.

Prior to teaching at Cypress Lake, Loren taught at Lee Middle School for one year and for five years at the Lab School at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.

He received his undergraduate degree at Florida Southern College and his Master’s in Education at WCU. Over the course of his teaching career, he often traveled internationally with students, visiting western Europe, the USSR, Australia, New Zealand, and many Mediterranean countries.

Loren served in the US Army during the Korean War, serving in the Panama Canal Zone.

He was also a well-known genealogist in Buncombe and Yancey Counties in NC, and he corresponded with people across the US to share genealogical information. He loved talking about his family, and he especially loved visits from his many nieces and nephews who would come to Florida for vacations.

Per his wishes there will be a private burial at Lee Memorial Park in Fort Myers, FL.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.leememorialparkfuneralhome.com for the Ray family.