Rev. Dr. Ray E. Harrison

HE WAS A DEAR DADDY TO TOM AND SHERRY; HE WAS THE HUSBAND OF 57 YEARS AND THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE LOVE TO HIS BELOVED WIFE, JOAN; HE WAS "PAPAW" TO 3 GRANDSONS: NICHOLAS, TJ AND HIS WIFE LISA, AND TO RAY AND HIS WIFE MICHELLE; HE WAS ALSO "PAPAW" TO HIS GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN: BALEIGH, KENNY, ABIGAIL JOAN, HUNTER, MORGAN, BELLA AND BROSDEN; BRO. RAY WAS THE PASTOR AT LAKE WHIPPOORWILL BAPTIST CHURCH FOR 33-35 YEARS; AND, HE WAS A FRIEND TO EVERYONE WHO IS AT HIS MEMORIAL SERVICE TODAY TO CELEBRATE AND REMEMBER HIS LIFE. HE WAS ALSO A COUNSELOR, A TEACHER, AND HE WAS ALWAYS A STUDENT OF GOD'S WORD. WHEN BRO. RAY WAS YOUNGER HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN THE NAVY. HE LOVED TO GO FISHING (THERE WERE SO MANY SUMMER VACATIONS THAT CENTERED AROUND FISHING. AND THERE WAS THE TIME THAT JOAN BOUGHT BRO. RAY A CASTING NET - HE ONLY USED IT A FEW TIMES AND THAT WAS TO PRACTICE CASTING IT, WHICH HE NEVER GOT THE HANG OF SINCE BRO. RAY, NOT THE FISH, WAS THE ONLY THING GETTING TANGLED IN THE NET! HE WAS A MECHANIC (REV. JIM PERDUE, WITH 'CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP', CAN TELL YOU ABOUT A FOURTH OF JULY WHEN BRO. RAY WAS DOING A "LITTLE" REPAIR JOB ON JIM'S CAR - IT WAS RUMORED THAT THE ONLY FIREWORKS GOING OFF THAT YEAR WERE IN THE DRIVEWAY DURING THE MANY HOURS OF THE JOB THAT WAS ONLY GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME!); HE WAS A GOLFER (EVEN THOUGH TANK BROWN AND ROBERT BLACKMAN WOULD PROBABLY DISAGREE WITH THAT AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY SOME SQUIRRELS THAT CELEBRATED WHEN BRO. RAY WASN'T ABLE TO GOLF ANYMORE!); HE WAS A BUSINESSMAN, AND HE HAD BECOME A COMPUTER GEEK (OF COURSE, HE COULDN'T GET THROUGH A WEEK SOMETIMES WITHOUT CALLING OUR FAMILY COMPUTER EXPERT, TJ. AND, WHENEVER BRO. RAY'S COMPUTER WAS DOING SOMETHING STRANGE, IT WAS AN EMERGENCY AND TJ HAD TO GET THERE ASAP; MOST OF THE TIME THE PROBLEM WAS WHAT TJ CALLED A "PAPAW ERROR" AND HE HAD THE COMPUTER FIXED AS SOON AS HE UNDID WHATEVER IT WAS THAT PAPAW HAD DONE!). THEN BRO. RAY LEARNED ABOUT SKYPE (WHERE YOU CAN SEE ONE ANOTHER ON YOUR COMPUTERS WITH A LITTLE WEBCAM) AND HE WOULD HAVE SKYPE BIBLE STUDIES WITH PEOPLE (LIKE BILL & SUSAN McDANEL) OVER THE COMPUTER EVERY WEEK AND IT BECAME ANOTHER PART OF HIS MINISTRY. MIKE MATLOCK SHARED A STORY TO PASS ON TO EVERYONE. BRO. RAY AND MIKE MET ONLINE AND ONLY SAW EACH OTHER TWICE IN PERSON, YET THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS VERY SPECIAL. MIKE CONSIDERED BRO. RAY A MENTOR AND BELIEVES THAT GOD USED BRO. RAY TO MAKE MIKE UNDERSTAND THE "MEAT" OF GOD'S WORD! AFTER A LOT OF STUDY, MIKE STARTED A STUDY OF THE BEMA (THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST) IN HIS HOUSE (THIS WAS A STUDY THAT BRO. RAY HAD SPENT YEARS ON STUDYING, RESEARCHING, AND TEACHING). AT ONE SESSION, A LADY ASKED A QUESTION THAT MIKE COULDN'T ANSWER. SO HE PUT HIS LAPTOP ON THE TABLE, GOT PAPAW (MIKE CALLED BRO. RAY "PAPAW", TOO) ON SKYPE AND HE JOINED THE BEMA STUDY THAT NIGHT AND THEY ALL HAD A GREAT TIME! IT DIDN'T MATTER WHO YOU WERE, WHERE YOU WERE, OR WHAT TIME IT WAS, BRO. RAY WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE WHENEVER ANYONE HAD A QUESTION, PROBLEM, OR NEEDED HELP! THE FUNNIEST THING WITH SKYPE THOUGH WAS TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO BRO. RAY AND RON ANDERSON ON THE COMPUTER. NOW, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE BOTH HARD OF HEARING AND OF COURSE, NEITHER WORE THEIR HEARING AIDS WHILE ON THE COMPUTER. THE CONVERSATION USUALLY STARTED WITH "CAN YOU SEE ME? CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? HOW ABOUT NOW?" AND THEN IT WENT ON TO "WHAT DID YOU SAY? REPEAT THAT, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. 2, RON, 2 - NOT BLUE, 2!" - THIS WOULD GET VERY LOUD AND GO ON FOR THE LONGEST TIME; MOM AND SHERRY WOULD JUST LAUGH AT THEM AND TURN UP THE TV. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO BRO. RAY WAS BEING A CHRISTIAN AND LIVING A LIFE THAT WAS PLEASING TO THE LORD. HE HAS SAID SO MANY TIMES THAT WHAT HE WANTED MOST OF ALL WAS TO ONE DAY HEAR GOD SAY TO HIM, "WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT... ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD!" BECAUSE MOM AND DAD BOTH MADE SURE THAT THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNEW THAT THEY WERE BOTH SAVED, THAT THEY HAD ACCEPTED GOD'S FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH BELIEVING ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WE CAN REJOICE IN THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BOTH IN HEAVEN, WITH JESUS, AND THEY ARE BACK TOGETHER WITH ONE ANOTHER AGAIN! BRO. RAY WAS SAVED ON MARCH 28, 1945 WHEN HE WAS 10 YEARS OLD. BRO. RAY WOULD TELL THE STORY OF HOW ON MARCH 16, 1969 HE REALLY HAD IT OUT WITH GOD WHILE ALONE IN A HOTEL ROOM WHILE AWAY ON A BUSINESS TRIP. GOD WON THAT FIGHT AND BRO. RAY DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO WHATEVER GOD WANTED HIM TO DO FROM THAT TIME FORWARD. WHAT GOD WANTED WAS FOR BRO. RAY TO BECOME A PREACHER, SO HE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL DOING A CORRESPONDENCE COURSE TO GET HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE. NOW THIS WAS IN THE DAYS BEFORE HOME COMPUTERS, SO ALL OF BRO. RAY'S PAPERS WERE TYPED ON AN OLD HEAVY MANUAL UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER, USING CARBON PAPER FOR THE COPIES. HE WOULD WORK ALL DAY AT HYDRAULIC HOUSE AND FLORIDA HYDRAULICS, COME HOME AND CLEAN UP FOR DINNER AND A LITTLE BIT OF FAMILY TIME, AND THEN HE WOULD STUDY UNTIL LATE IN THE NIGHT. HIS FAMILY HAD THE PLEASURE TO GO TO BRO. RAY'S THREE GRADUATIONS WHEN HE RECEIVED HIS BACHELORS, MASTERS AND DOCTORATE DEGREES! HOW MANY KIDS GET TO DO THAT? HIS FAMILY WAS ALSO THERE ON JULY 16, 1976 WHEN BRO. RAY WAS LICENSED TO PREACH THE GOSPEL BY REV. JOE DOUTHAT AT LOCKHART BAPTIST CHURCH. THE NEXT YEAR ON NOV. 6, 1977, BRO. RAY WAS ORDAINED TO THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL MINISTRY. OF COURSE, JOAN STOOD BY HIM AND DID EVERYTHING SHE COULD DO TO HELP HIM ALONG THE WAY - THEY WERE DEFINATELY A TEAM! JOAN LEFT THIS EARTH ON OCT. 5, 2010 AND BRO. RAY BECAME ILL IN LATE OCTOBER. HE HAD MANY TESTS DONE AS AN OUT-PATIENT AND THE DRS. WEREN'T ABLE TO EXPLAIN HIS NUMEROUS STRANGE SYMPTOMS. HE WENT INTO THE HOSPITAL ON DEC. 29th FOR MORE TESTS - FROM THAT TIME UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY ON MAY 18th, HE WAS ONLY HOME FOR 3 DAYS AND AN AMBULANCE HAD TO BE CALLED ON THE THIRD DAY TO TAKE HIM BACK TO THE HOSPITAL. WE SEND VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO NEIGHBORS AND DEAR FRIENDS, TERRY AND MARK JOHNSON, FOR ALL OF THE HELP AND SUPPORT THEY GAVE TO BRO. RAY AND TO SHERRY! DURING THIS TIME BRO. RAY'S NERVES AND MUSCLES DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT HE COULD NO LONGER WALK, HE COULDN'T RAISE HIS ARMS ENOUGH TO FEED HIMSELF, AND HE NEEDED HELP TO DO ANYTHING. BUT, NO MATTER HOW WEAK HIS BODY BECAME, BRO. RAY'S MIND WAS AS SHARP AS EVER. ONE DAY SHERRY WALKED INTO HIS ROOM AT FLORIDA HOSPITAL AND SAW WRITTEN ON THE BOARD IN HIS ROOM, TWO PHRASES: "PERMISSIVE WILL" AND "PERFECT WILL". SHE LOOKED AT HER DADDY AND ASKED, "ARE YOU HAVING BIBLE STUDIES HERE AT THE HOSPITAL?" HE GOT THAT BIG SMILE OF HIS ON HIS FACE AND SAID, "OF COURSE I AM!" THE NURSES TOLD SHERRY HOW THEY WOULD GO SEE BRO. RAY, HE WOULD GIVE THEM SCRIPTURE TO STUDY, AND THEN THEY WOULD COME BACK AND DISCUSS THE MEANING OF IT WITH HIM. THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING HIM FEEL BETTER BUT THAT IT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND - HE WAS MAKING THEM FEEL BETTER AND WOULD SPEND TIME TALKING OVER THE PERSONAL PROBLEMS THAT SOME NURSES WERE HAVING. IT WAS THE SAME WAY AT THE NURSING HOME - BRO. RAY WOULD TALK TO ANYONE WHO WAS INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT GOD AND HIS WORD, WHETHER IT WAS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, SECRETARY, NURSE, TECH, OR ADMINISTRATOR. BRO. RAY WAS LOVED BY ALL AND WAS AN INSPIRATION TO EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM. HE NEVER LOST HIS DETERMINATION TO WORK HARD TO GET WELL ENOUGH TO COME HOME SOMEDAY AND HE NEVER LOST HIS SENSE OF HUMOR. I COULD GO ON AND ON WITH STORIES ABOUT BRO. RAY, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS LIFE. BUT, JUST REMEMBER A FEW THINGS. TOM, JACKIE, NICHOLAS, TJ, LISA, BALEIGH, KENNY AND ABBY, RAY, MICHELLE, HUNTER, MORGAN, BELLA AND BROSDEN, JUST REMEBER HOW VERY PROUD BRO. RAY WAS OF HIS FAMILY AND HOW MUCH HE LOVED EACH ONE OF US. TO LAKE WHIPPOORWILL BAPTIST CHURCH, YOU ARE ALSO FAMILY - BRO. RAY'S CHURCH FAMILY - AND HE LOVED EACH ONE OF YOU. HE TOOK HIS CALLING FROM GOD TO BE YOUR PASTOR AND SHEPHERD VERY SERIOUSLY AND LOVED PREACHING AND TEACHING FROM THE "MEAT" OF GOD'S WORD. HE WOULD SPEND HOURS RESEARCHING AND STUDYING ON HIS OWN SO HE COULD PASS WHAT HE HAD LEARNED ON TO YOU. AND, TO ALL OF BRO. RAY'S FRIENDS - EACH OF YOU WERE IMPORTANT TO HIM AND HE TRULY LOVED AND CARED ABOUT EVERY ONE OF YOU! SO, LET'S REMEMBER BRO. RAY'S SMILE AND ALL OF THE GOOD TIMES THAT WERE HAD WITH HIM. LET'S BE HAPPY THAT HE'S NOT SUFFERING - HE'S NOT A PRISONER IN HIS BODY ANYMORE! AND, LET'S REJOICE THAT HE'S IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS AND WITH JOAN, AND OTHER FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO WENT ON BEFORE! BRO. RAY WAS READY TO GO AND LEAVE THIS WORLD. HE WASN'T SCARED OF DEATH - IT WAS JUST THE STEP TO ETERNITY!

REV. DR. RAY E. HARRISON, age 76, passed away on May 18, 2011 at Tampa General. He was born on December 22, 1934 in Charleston, West Virginia to the late Ray T. & Catherine (Anderson) Harrison. Rev. Dr. Harrison, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, was ordained in 1972. Prior to this, he had worked in the automotive industry. Ray enjoyed golfing, being on the computer and in his younger years, fishing. He loved serving his church family and had retired from Lake Whippoorwill Baptist Church where he pastored for 35 years. Ray is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 57 years, Joan. Survivors include his children, Thomas Ray (Jackie) Harrison and Sherry Harrison; three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 13067, Alexandria, VA 22312-9067 or www.diabetes.org/honor. Arrangements under the direction of Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Gotha, FL. 34734. 407-293-1361. Condolences may be offered at www.woodlawnfuneralhomegotha.com.