James F Ray Jr.

James Franklin Ray, Jr., 81, died Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. His viewing will be held this Friday, March 24, 2017 from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. at Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary located at 719 N. 27th Avenue in Phoenix, and will be followed by a Funeral Service at 1:00 p.m. and a Burial service thereafter around 2:15 p.m. All friends and family are welcome. A lifelong Arizona native, James, who was known by all as Jim, was born on March 2, 1936 in Phoenix, Arizona to James and Virginia Ray. An avid outdoorsman and sports fan who was also an accomplished baseball player in his youth, Jim was committed to passing on these joys to his children. Jim pursued his outdoor hobbies with true enjoyment over much of his life, and he was actively involved in his children’s sports activities for many years coaching and guiding them with love while also pushing them to achieve excellence in all they did in sports and life. Jim served honorably in the United States Marine Corps and had a long and very successful career as a design engineer before retiring from Sperry Corporation. Jim is survived by his sister Leona Fields, his four children, Sherry, Craig, Scott, and Steven, and his two nieces Susan and Linda. Jim's daughter paid this special tribute to him, "Our dad was amazing to me in so many ways. I thank him for his unconditional love over many years. He will be sorely missed by all of us closest to him."