Melvin Ray Powell

Ray was born on June 21, 1941 in Irving, Texas to Horace and Mattie Powell. After graduating Irving High School in 1959, he joined the Marines and became an aerial photographer stationed in Iwakuni Japan traveling to Korea and the Philippines. He met his future wife, Marie while in Pensacola for training with the Marines in 1960. He would return when his service was complete in 1963 to ask Marie to be his wife. They would eventually settle down in Pensacola after a short time living in Irving and have 3 children.

He worked initially as a photographer for the Naval base but then trained to become a plumber/pipe-fitter and eventually a planner and estimator for the civil service where he retired in 1996.

He loved fishing, gardening and his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his older brother Charles. He is survived by his wife Marie, daughter Dawn, son David with wife Tara and granddaughter Cameron, son Grady with wife Jennifer and grandchildren Orin, Juliette, Brenton, Abigail, and Hannah.