Ray Mcdowell

Canton - Ray McDowell, age 82, died Monday, December 03, 2007 at Silver Bluff Nursing Home. He was a native of Gordon, GA, but had lived most of his life in Haywood County. He was a son of the late L.C. and Berta McCook McDowell and was preceded in death by his wife Frances Ford McDowell, who died in 1987, and a brother, Wayne McDowell. Ray was a United States Navy veteran of World War II serving as a member of the CB's. He participated in five invasions which included Sicily, Italy, North Africa, Southern France, and Okinawa. Ray was on a liberty ship that sank during World War II and he survived a typhoon. He retired from Champion International, as a millwright in 1987, with 42 years of service and was a member of Morning Star United Methodist Church. He is survived by one daughter, Carolyn Anderson and her husband, Ronald, of Canton; one son, Charles McDowell and his wife, Becca, of Canton; two sisters, Vivian Rhinehart of Canton and Patricia Lowe of Akron, OH; four brothers, L. L. "Buddy" McDowell of Canton, Neal McDowell of Killen, AL, Joe Bob McDowell of Rock Hill, SC, and Marvin McDowell of Pasadena, TX; four grandsons, Matthew McDowell, Ben McDowell and his wife, Allison, Marc Anderson, Jeremy Anderson and his wife, Crystal; one step grandson, Joey Anderson and his wife, Rhonda and five great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 5, 2007 in the Canton Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend Doug Love and Reverend Richard Kinsland officiating. Entombment will follow in Crawford/Ray Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home. At other times, the family will be at the home of his son, Charles McDowell, 218 McDowell Drive. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Haywood Regional Medical Center Hospice, 560 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, NC 28721.

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