Ray Davis Jr., 76

The Rev. Ray Davis Jr., 76, passed away on Friday, June 29, 2012, at Health Center Northwest in Kalispell.

He was born Aug. 25, 1935, to Helen Dickerson and Gorman Ray Davis Sr., in Baltimore. 

Following graduation in 1953 from City College High School in Baltimore, he served four years in the United States Air Force.

In 1957, he married Dorothy Jean Rogers at Waverly Methodist Church in Baltimore.

After graduating from Towson State Teachers College, and teaching two years in the public schools, he entered Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C., graduating with a Masters Degree in 1966. While attending school, he served various churches in Maryland, including Mount Airy, Pleasant Grove, Monroe Street, Deer Creek and Mount Tabor. Following ordination in the Baltimore Conference he transferred to the Montana Methodist Conference, which is now the Yellowstone United Methodist Church Conference. His ministry in that conference included Montana churches at Sunburst, Kevin, Sweetgrass, Columbia Falls (where he was appointed twice), Livingston and an appointment at Cody, Wyo. He also served a term as District Superintendent of the Great Falls District of the United Methodist Church of the Yellowstone Conference.

He was an avid sports enthusiast, enjoying golf, tennis and softball, and officiating high school sports.  His service included numerous church and community service boards. He especially enjoyed music, often singing in choirs and as a soloist.

He is survived by his wife, Jean, of Kalispell; his son, Paul, of St. Louis, Mo.; daughter, Virginia “Ginny” Neal and her husband, Vard, of Stone, Idaho; daughter, Cheryl “Cheri” Davis, of Tyler, Texas; sister, Nancy Smith and her husband, Steve, of Baltimore; brother-in-law, Ron Rogers and his wife, Peggy, of West Virginia; five granddaughters, Krista Peters and her husband, Michael, of Texas, Kaylie Jones and her husband, Rocky, of California, April Neal of Pocatello, Idaho, and Amber Neal and Varcy Neal of Stone. He is also survived by two great-granddaughters, Annabella Peters of Texas and Reggie Jones of California; four nieces and their families, Heather Shipley, Sloane Fuller and Brooke Rogers, all of Maryland, and Amy Walker of Mississippi; and one nephew, Steve Smith of Maryland; close family cousins, Ron Smith of Maryland, Harvey Lewis and Phyllis Wray, Linda and Lyman Riley, and Tommy Davis of Virginia, and Lee Davis of Baltimore.

The family requests donations be made to Epworth United Methodist Church Memorial Fund. Please designate gifts to be attributed to either the hymnal fund or the Flathead Lake United Methodist Church Camp fund.

Visitation for Rev. Ray will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 6, in the Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 7, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Kalispell, and also at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 8 at the Columbia Falls United Methodist Church in Columbia Falls.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Rev. Ray's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Rev. Ray's tribute wall.