Donnie Vern Wray

Donnie Vern Wray, 69, gladly went to meet his Lord and Savior on Friday, January 1st.  He was surrounded in love by his entire family. Waiting for him at the gates of heaven were his parents, Samuel Oscar Wray and Frances Vernon Wray, his daughter, Robin Michelle Wray, his sister Diane Wray Joyce, and his favorite brother in law, Jimmy Lee Hooker.

A funeral service will be held on Monday January 4, 2021 at 2pm at Floyd Baptist Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Donnie will lie-in-repose on Sunday from 1 til 6 pm for anyone wanting to come by and pay their respects and sign the register book. The service will be live streamed on Fair Funeral Home's facebook page.

Left behind to cherish his memory is his faithful wife of 47 years, Pat Shumake Wray; his son and right-hand man, John Samuel Wray and favorite daughter in law Stephanie Priddy Wray; his devoted daughter, Martha Wray Mabe and beloved son in law Bradley; his grandchildren and apples of his eye, Kenna Moore, Presley Mabe, Emma Wray, Elijah Mabe, Sam Wray, Karigan-Grace Mabe, Isaac Mabe and his great grandson, Jaxson James; his loving siblings: Elaine Wray Hooker, Frankie Wray (Kay), and Benny Wray (Cheryl); and special nephews BJ and Carson Wray and the entire church family of Floyd Baptist Church.

Donnie was born on April 14th, 1951 in Rockingham County. He spent his entire life on his family’s tobacco farm.  He graduated from Stoneville High School in 1970. In 1973, he met and married the love of his life and together they built a family and started Wray Farms. Donnie worked in several area mills and had his own tobacco farm. In 2004, Donnie got out of the tobacco business and started cattle farming. He loved working the land, taking care of his herd.

Donnie also loved the Lord and became a Christian at a young age. He faithfully served as a deacon at Floyd Baptist Church for over 40 years and he was on various committees and taught Sunday school. He loved making the treat bags for the Christmas Program and getting the fruit baskets. He was also the head stew master and always had a pocket full of candy for the children.

Many of Donnie’s hobbies included the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He took great pride in his garden and made sure he planted enough to share with his family, church and community. He enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren play sports and he was a little league baseball coach. One of his proudest accomplishments was building his cabin with his own hands. He used the cabin for a place to gather his family and friends for cookouts, stews, and dove hunts.

Donnie Wray was the Biblical definition of a true Christian man. He always put God first and his family a close second. He lived a life of service, always looking for ways to help someone in need. He took care of his family, his land and his community. If you knew him, you loved him. He was a humble, honest, kind and trustworthy man of God.

The Wray family would like to give their most heart-felt gratitude to the cardiac staff of doctors and nurses at Cone Hospital and the LVAD team. They took amazing care of him and he loved everyone of them.

Memorial contributions can be sent to the American Heart Association at www.2heart.org, Amedisys Hospice Agency at 2975 Crouse Lane, Burlington, or the Floyd Baptist Church Building Fund at 3652 Price Rd, Eden NC 27288.