RAYMOND E. "RAY" EMERSON, 76, passed away peacefully on
Sept. 15, 2008, after a brief two-month battle with cancer.
Ray was born Aug. 30, 1932, in Jones County. He grew up in
Gorman, where he graduated high school in 1949. He graduated
from Ranger Jr. College two years later. He then enrolled
at North Texas State College, where he graduated with a BBA
in marketing in 1955 after a two-year interruption in the
U.S. Army. He worked for General Dynamics from 1955 until
he retired in 1992 as director of F-16 co-production, Israel.
He lived and worked in Israel prior to retirement & considered
the 5 1/2 years he spent there as some of the most rewarding
years of his life. He was a member of Moose Lodge No. 1100
and American Legion Post 626.
Ray will be remembered by all who knew him as a man of honesty
and integrity and a man whose word meant something. While he
took his job with General Dynamics very seriously, he never
took life too seriously. One of his favorite sayings was,
"Don't be overcome with your own self-importance." He will
also be remembered for his great, though sometimes twisted,
sense of humor. He was a true original and will be sorely
missed.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents, W.C. "Clarence" and
Mary Emerson; and a brother, C.W. "Wilburn" Emerson.
Survivors: sons, Ashley Emerson with friend, Deanna McGraw, &
Henry Emerson and wife, Rosie; daughter, Stacy Emerson with
friend, Ben Leonard; stepdaughter, Kelly Myers; niece, Judy
Myers and husband, Gary; nephew, Bill Emerson; grandchildren,
Raymond Taylor Emerson, Kendra Emerson and Morgan Emerson;
and countless, much-cherished friends from here and all over
the world.