Harold Ray accepted Jesus as his savior as a young boy and was baptized at First Baptist Church in Sherman where they were living at the time. He and his family moved back to the farm, and he attended Antioch Baptist Church. Later, after moving to Sherman, he was a member of Fairview Baptist Church for many years. His membership currently is back in his home church at Antioch in the Pink Hill Community.
Harold Ray worked as a machinist and welder most of his life. However, his first job was helping his brother Roy Lee Brown in his jewelry store doing jewelry repairs and also for his uncle Delmer McCollum. He worked for Andrew Kerioth and Sons and Gruman Olson as a welder. In Dallas he worked for both Monroe Plating and Crews Plating and then moved back to Sherman where he worked for many years as a welder and machinist with his cousin Bert Brown.
In later years Harold Ray opened a welding shop and tire shop in Bells where he worked until his retirement. One of his most favorite things to do was work on the family farm where he lived in the Pink Hill Community. He loved his tractor and his zero-turn mower. He had what he called a “side job” with the Pink Hill Water Supply and he and James Milton worked together on that as a team and had lots of fun experiences collecting late bills and trying to make customers happy.
Harold Ray also loved Grayson County Speedway and his friend Benny Busby who owned the place. He raced #27 stock car there for a while and then later became the announcer for many years. He always wanted to open the events with a prayer. He was a prayer warrior and he and Joyce would recite the Lord’s Prayer at their home together up until these past few months. He always remembered the part “Hallowed be thy name” and Joyce would stop and let him say those words because that was really the most he could remember of it.
He and Joyce worked the cub scouts with both sons, and they had pine derby cars with a lot of fun races.
He was a Christian, a good father and husband and loved his many friends and family, special friendships at Grayson County Speedway.
Survivors include his wife Joyce Brown of the home; son Jeff Brown (Amy) of Sherman, TX, son Tim Brown (Michelle) of North Richland Hills, TX; grandsons Nathan Brown (Kacy) of Sherman, Wesley Brown (Brianna) of Sherman; great grandsons Benjamin Brown, Sherman, TX and Luke Simmons of Haslet, TX; granddaughter Morgan Simmons (Joe) of Haslett, TX and Presley Shockey of Sherman, TX; and Godson Gil Faber of Bells, TX. Nephews Mike Brown of Bells, TX and Mike Wells of Kuttawa, Kentucky; cousin “and just like a brother” Bert Brown of Sherman, TX and several great nephews and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents Irel and Mae Brown of Bells, TX and one brother Roy Lee Brown
of Sherman, TX.
A visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 1, preceding funeral services at 11:00 a.m., in the Waldo Funeral Home Chapel in Sherman. Kenneth Van Horn and Woody Brown will officiate. Interment will immediately follow at Washburn Cemetery.
Serving as pallbearers will be Nathan Brown, Wesley Brown, Mike Brown, Kory Brown, Shane Brown, and Kerry Brown.
Honorary pallbearers will be Bert Brown, Marty Brown, Ted Brown, Buggs Brown, Andy Faber, and Gil Faber.
Online condolences can be made at www.waldofuneralhome.com