John Ray Vanpelt, beloved husband, father, brother and grandfather, and friend entered his eternal rest on October 10, 2021. He was a graduate of W R Odell High School and North Carolina State University. He was a 20 year Air Force veteran retiring in 1984. He had a second career as Facilities Manager at Hillsborough County Aviation Authority from 1988 to 1999. He was a member of First Reformed Church, and served in many capacities, the latest being a Sunday School facilitator for an adult Sunday School class. He loved computers and had an insatiable desire to learn new things. What he didn’t know, he spent hours watching videos on the computer to learn. He was a man of many talents, and could repair almost anything. He loved his grandchildren and enjoyed many hours of helping them with various school projects. After he retired he and his wife enjoyed traveling and had special memories of trips to Athens, Greece and Ephesus, Turkey where they walked ancient streets and thought of the writings of Paul. They also enjoyed a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia where they toured the Hermitage.
Ray had a great love for his family and will be sorely missed by his wife of 57 years, Christine, his daughters Nancy Masut and Susan Vanpelt, grandchildren Taylor, Matthew and Amanda Masut and Samantha Ansotigue (Jesse), his brothers Max (Fran), Frank (Debby) and Harry (Sharon), his nieces and nephews and many cousins.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 1 p.m. at First Reformed Church, 8283 West Hillsborough Avenue, Tampa, Florida. Burial will be at a later date at the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to First Reformed Church as a memoriam.
Arrangements by Blount & Curry Funeral Home, Oldsmar/West Hillsborough Chapel, Tampa, Florida
Phone 813-814-4444
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