Mr. Harry "Ray" Parker, Jr., age 86, of Canton, Georgia passed away on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at Northside Cherokee Hospital after a brief illness.

Graveside service is on Tuesday, January 10 at 12:30pm at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton. All wishing to attend must meet at 11:30am at Darby Funeral Home in Canton, GA to line up for the processional and entrance into the cemetery. A celebration on life will be held at the Lodge at Bridgemill from 1:30 – 3:00pm that same day.

Ray is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dolores Pfister known as Laurie; daughter Cindy Austin and husband Cliff; grandkids Parker Austin and Kailey Austin; son Michael Ray Parker and wife Jean Healy; granddaughters Laura Catherwood and husband Chris, and Mary Manning and husband Charles; and great grandkids Kelsey Catherwood, Avery Catherwood, and Maggie Catherwood. In addition, Ray is survived by his sister, Linda Boyd and husband Ed of Hampton, Virginia.

Ray was born in Aulander, NC on September 3, 1936 on his grandmother's farm to Harry Ray Parker and Eloise Clarkey Pittman. He was the second of five children. He spent his childhood in Hampton, Virginia as well as summers at the family farm in Aulander, NC. He joined the USAF on January 19, 1955 to qualify for the Korean War GI bill, which was his only way to go to college. His first assignment was to Scott AFB in Belleville, Illinois where he met the love of his life, Laurie in August. They were married on November 18, 1955. Ray and Laurie moved all over the world during his 20 years in the USAF including Alaska, Okinawa, Thailand, Pakistan, and many US states. Ray finally retired on August 1, 1975 at the rank of Master Sargent. He worked in radio maintenance including the USAF security service while always taking advantage of any opportunity to further his knowledge. Upon retirement Ray had 2 years of technical training in Electronics and had completed his first 2 years of college.

The USAF moved Ray one final time to Raleigh, NC. He lived there the next 42 years and went back to school at North Carolina State University. He was an avid Wolfpack fan! He joined the Veteran's Club and met a special group of people that became life-long friends and extended family. Ray and Laurie were the "seniors" of the group and took many of the young couples under their wing. In 1978, he completed his degree in Engineering Operations. Ray was very successful in his next career and worked for Exide Electronics, Troxler Laboratory, R. W. Chapman and GNB Batteries. Ray became a great golfer who prided himself on having 6 hole-in-ones, a double eagle and a 2 handicap. He had plenty of practice as he worked at Cheviot Hills Golf Course for 16 years after retiring again. Ray spent most of his free time playing golf or teaching others including nephews and grandkids. He loved his family and visited them often. His hobbies included reading and gardening.

In July of 2017, Ray moved to Canton, Georgia to be closer to family. He and Laurie moved into a retirement community where they constantly met new friends and enjoyed all the activities. Ray always greeted everyone with a smile and loved to meet new people and share old stories. He supported his kids and grandkids in every endeavor they tried, especially education. He was a caring husband and greatest partner to his wife Laurie. Together they shared a life full of adventure and love!