Edward L. Ray went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 28, 2010.
He was born in Sarcoxie, Mo., and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Sarcoxie. Lee, as he was known by many, was a devoted husband and father. He is survived by his loving wife, Dusty; his daughter Valerie; his son Gregory and daughter-in-law Rita; his grandson Cody; his sister Lorriane Stebler, of Carthage, Mo.; his aunt Jessie Owens; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Lee served honorably in the U.S. Navy as a signalman in the Pacific Theater of World War II. There he was in nine initial landings. Lee attended school in Sarcoxie, Mo., and a year at Columbia University in New York. He was also a graduate of the Dale Carnegie School.
He had been in the newspaper business for more than 40 years as a mechanical superintendent for eight years and named production director of the Suntahler Newspaper in Hollywood, Fla., which was a Scripps-Howard newspaper. Lee was a member of the Toastmasters of Hollywood, Fla., where he resided for 32 years before moving to Lake Placid and becoming a member of the American legion.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Fund, Heart Fund, and Hope Hospice of Sebring.
Burial will follow cremation with military honors at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla.
