On August 18, 1988, Ray married the love of his life, Laura Henderson, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. After the ceremony, he jokingly promised his new bride that they’ll be together for “at least 30 years”, and he was able to fulfill that promise to her by giving her exactly 30 years, 1 month and 9 days of blissful marriage.
Ray spent majority of his working life in the automotive industry, owning and managing multiple gas stations and mechanic shops, but towards the end of his career he worked as a pest control technician at Adam’s Pest Control. After retirement, Ray enjoyed frequently visiting various flea markets on the hunt for different collectables, including trading cards and brass animal figurines. Ray never met a stranger in his life and will always be remembered for his outgoing, fun personality and ability to make anyone feel special. He was also a phenomenal cook, with the rare talent of making just about any kind of food solely based off taste. He was known for cooking classic Southern comfort food but his most famous dishes were his baby back ribs and devilled eggs, which were always specifically requested for cookouts, potlucks and other community gatherings. By far, the most important characteristic of Ray was his unconditional love for his family. He was an extremely hands-on and loving father to his children with a natural paternal instinct. Even as his children started to move away to start their own families in different states, he learned how to text so he could always stay in touch with them. He was and will always be incredibly proud of them. Ray was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers: R.B, Jack, and Rayburn Henderson and one sister: Rita Hogan. He is survived by his beloved wife, Laura; his 5 children: Lisa Ann Snellen, Rayna VanNest, Ray “Tommy” Henderson II, Christopher and Steven Spillett; 7 grandchildren: Adam Spillett, Tyler VanNest, Whitney Daniels, Steven Snellen, Yashira Spillett, Kayla VanNest and Luke Thomas Henderson; 1 sister: Rona Johnson, and numerous nieces and nephews.
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