Rincon-Mr. Benjamin "Bennie" Franklin Ray, Jr., 96, passed away at home on Friday, July 12, 2013.
Mr. Ray was born in Willie, GA, on April 1, 1917 to the late Benjamin Franklin Ray, Sr. and Rosa Elizabeth Mobley Ray. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Ida Ruth Laughinghouse, Gertrude Spivey and Lucille Scott and his brothers, Horace, Cecil and Melvin Ray. He was a member of Old Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. He was a Charter Member of the Seventh District Volunteer Fire Department where he served as Captain, and he was instrumental in organizing and building the department. His love was building and he had a God given gift for it. He restored historic houses in downtown Savannah and built both of his daughters a house. He also restored his father's 1939 Chevrolet.
He owned a house on Ebenezer Creek and spent many hours fishing the deep black water swamp there.
Survivors include his wife, Myrtice Altman Ray; daughters, LaVone Brown and her husband, Sonney, and Elizabeth Lewis, her husband, Russell, preceded her in death in 2000; grandchildren, Jeanne Marsh, Susan Culpepper and her husband, Michael, and Benjamin Lewis; great-grandchildren, Sydney M. Lewis and her husband, Christopher, Brandon Lewis,William Culpepper, Jessica Graham and her husband, John; and great great grandchild, Audrey Graham; also surviving are a number of nieces and nephews.
The visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home.
The funeral will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Old Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church located at the corner of Hwy. 80 and Mud Road in Bulloch County. Mr. Ray will lie in state from 2-3 p.m. at the church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Thomas C. Strickland & Sons Funeral Homes – West Chatham Chapel – 901 W. Hwy. 80 – Pooler, GA 31322 (912) 748-2444