Gunnery Sgt. Maurice Joseph Ray, USMC, Ret.

GUNNERY SERGEANT MAURICE J RAY, USMC RET., US POSTAL SERVICE, RET, WAS A MAN OF FAITH WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY, WHICH WAS NUMEROUS. HE GREW UP IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA ON ST. ANDREW'S COURT AND WAS A MINORCAN DESCENDANT. HE ATTENDED THE LOCAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL, ST. JOSEPHS ACADEMY AND WAS AN ALTAR BOY AND SANG IN THE CHOIR. HE JOINED THE USMC AT THE AGE OF 17 AND WAS STATIONED IN JAPAN AND VIET NAM. WHILE IN NORTH CAROLINA, HE MET SYLVIA NEWHOOK AND MARRIED HER RIGHT AWAY. THEY WERE MARRIED FOR 57 YEARS AND HAD 3 CHILDREN. AFTER RETIRING FROM THE USMC, MAURICE WENT TO WORK FOR THE US POSTAL SERVICE IN ORLANDO, FLA. AS A MAIL CARRIER. HE CONTINUED WITH THE POST OFFICE, COLLEGE PARK BRANCH, FOR 20 YEARS AND RETIRED AT THE AGE OF 60. WHILE WORKING AT THE POST OFFICE, HE OBTAINED HIS BACHELORS DEGREE IN HOTEL MANAGEMENT. FOLLOWING HIS RETIREMENT, MAURICE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION IN SANFORD, WHERE HE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND VOLUNTEERED AS A BARTENDER. HE CONTINUED THIS SERVICE UNTIL IT BECAME TOO PHYSICALLY PAINFUL. MAURICE HAD INJURED HIS BACK WHILE IN THE USMC AND OVER THE YEARS, HIS INJURY BECAME MORE AND MORE DEBILATING. FURTHER, AS A RESULT OF HIS EXPOSURE TO AGENT ORANGE IN VIET NAM, MAURICE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE. HIS NUMEROUS GRANDCHILDREN, HIS GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, DAUGHTERS AND WIFE WILL MISS HIS CONSTANT WIT AND GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR. WE WILL MISS HIM IN THE POOL, WHICH HE LOVED, AND STANDING AT THE GRILL. THEY AND OTHERS WILL MISS HIS BIG BROWN EYES AND BEAUTIFUL SMILE. HE WAS A GREAT PATRIOT AND LOVED HIS COUNTRY AND HIS FAMILY. SEMPER FI. THE FAMILY REQUESTS DONATIONS TO THE PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION IN LIEU OF FLOWERS. https://secure3.convio.net/prkorg/site/SPageNavigator/donate_form.html