Ray Whitehead Jimmy Ray

Jimmy Ray Whitehead, Sr., age 75, of Buckeye, AZ died August 27, 2019, in Goodyear, AZ. He was born January 28, 1944, in Meridian, MS to Viva and Clinton Whitehead. Jimmy came to Indiana when his parents brought a truckload of produce from Mississippi. While visiting, he and three friends noticed three pretty girls at a trampoline park. They followed the girls around all night until they finally were able to speak with them. Jimmy became acquainted with Carolyn and decided that he didn’t want to return to Mississippi. The couple began dating and were married 18 months later. They were married for 57 years.

Jimmy worked as a pipefitter welder and was a member of UA Local Union 469. He taught adult vocational welding at North Vigo High School in Terra Haute, IN. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and served as a Scoutmaster for Troop 339 in Prairieton, IN. He moved to Arizona in 1979 and worked at the Palo Verde nuclear power plant.

Jimmy was an avid hunter. He enjoyed that time spent with his sons and grandsons. Jimmy is survived by his wife, Carolyn; children, Jimmy Whitehead, Jr. (Suzy), Mark Whitehead, Sr, (Kara); Angel Troester (Frank), Denise Franklin (Jerry), and Belinda Jeter (Billy); sister, Patricia Crenshaw; brother, Lional Whitehead; 11 grandchildren, Melissa, Jimmy, III, Kathleen, Ryan, Matthew, Chad, Zoe, Auston, Alice, Mark, Jr., and Pamela; and great-grandchildren, Madelynn, Juelz, Aubree, Brantley, Mason, Kenneth, Zoey, and Ryker. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clinton Whitehead and Viva Whittington.

A visitation will be held at 6:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at 7:00 pm, Friday, August 30, 2019, at Thompson Funeral Chapel, 926 S. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ 85338.