Johnny "Jay" Ray Champion, Jr.

Johnny Ray Champion, Jr., affectionately known as “Jay” to his family and close friends, of Willow Springs, passed away on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Born August 14, 1982, in Smithfield, NC, to Ray and Janice Champion, Jay entered this world on a hot August day as a beautiful, sweet blue-eyed baby boy and left us too soon on a cold December day as a handsome, kind man with a heart that had grown too heavy from this world.

Jay was preceded in death by his father, Johnny Ray Champion, Sr. and is survived by his mother, Janice Champion, his beloved daughter, Kaelyn, who will be forever his little girl, and his loving girlfriend, Nikki Dwyer, along with her children, Brody, Zoe, and Gavin, whom Jay cared for deeply. He also leaves behind his big sisters, Melissa Hurst and Kelly Beasley and husband Jimmy, along with their families. Melissa’s children, Emily and Andrew, and Kelly’s children, Serenity, Tanner, and Holden, will forever remember their Uncle Jay as someone who loved big, felt deeply, and called it like he saw it.

Jay was the proud owner of JRC Repairs, where he specialized in property maintenance and handyman repairs. He was smart and quick- thinking, and if you didn’t know how to fix it, you called Jay. Jay took immense pride in his work, using his hands and head to help others. He was never too busy to get to know someone’s name, cut the neighbor’s grass, or check on the lady across the street.

Jay always had an intuitive sense that his time on this earth would be too short. Perhaps that’s why he lived with such fierceness, chasing life’s beauty and intensity. To quote one of Jay’s favorite songs, he could “put the rage in the river and the roll in the thunder.” As the years passed, he began to find solace in quieter things: the warmth of a fire, the embrace of his family, and the wind through his graying beard. He loved the water, the mountains, and his truck. In all things, he sought simplicity with a profound desire for peace and belonging.

He admired and worshipped his father, Ray, who was his North Star. Jay often shared his deep desire to be just like his dad, never realizing he already was- caring, generous, smart, and loving. We know his daddy and Uncle Johnny were there to meet him at Heaven’s gates, welcoming him with open arms, saying, “It’s been so long, and I love and missed you.”

He knew Jesus, and he saw God in everything- “the trees and pain and nights in the spring.” We know he is now reconciled with God the Father, finding the peace and wholeness that only Jesus can provide. Jay’s spirit lives on in the hearts of those who loved him, and his legacy is one of selflessness, resilience, and a love that knew no bounds.

While we know “it all turns out just fine,” we will deeply miss Jay’s handsome smile, his laugh, his thoughtful texts, and the TikToks he loved to share.

A visitation for Jay will be held Tuesday, December 17, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at McLaurin Funeral Home. Funeral services will occur on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 2:00pm in the chapel of McLaurin Funeral Home. The interment will follow at Maplewood Cemetery, Clayton.