Jay Raymond "Ray" North Jr., 85, of Rockville, Ind., passed away July 5, 2019 at Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis. He was born May 29, 1934 the son of Jay Raymond and Antoinette Dornblaser North of Tuscola, Illinois. He married Sue Sappenfield on June 17, 1956 and has resided in Parke County since 1963 and winters in St. James City, Florida since 1983.

Ray graduated from Tuscola High School, has a B.S. Degree from DePauw University and took additional work toward a teaching certificate from the University of Illinois. He taught in Newman, Ill. High School and Turkey Run High School. He was the Public Relations Director of Parke County REMC and has been engaged in farming. While with the REMC he served on the Parke County Inc. Board as secretary and president, and he worked on the initial planning committees for Billie Creek Village and also Burnett Manor.

His memberships include being a 50 year member of Tuscola Lodge #332 F&AM, Tuscola Chapter Royal Arch Masons, Militia Commandery #37, and the Zorah Shrine Temple in Terre Haute. He was a member of the Rockville United Methodist Church and attended the Marshall Federated Church. He started playing trumpet in a dance band while in high school and this became a lifelong interest. He had his own band in college and some years after. He played in Shrine dance bands in Terre Haute and Ft. Myers where he also played in a Dixieland Band. He also collected toy trains.

He is survived by his wife, Sue of Rockville; 3 daughters, Sandra Meadows (Dave) of Milligan, Ind., Patricia Harvey (Greg) of Rockville, and Catherine deVeer (Jim) of Hanover, MA; 7 grandchildren: Mark Newnum (Diane), Kimberly Fitch (Chris), Matthew Newnum (Tiffany), Kara Burgess (Brodie), Kellie Powers (Dan), Dana Knochel (Matt),and Jay deVeer; and 10 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 8, 2019 at 2 p.m. at the Marshall Federated Church in Marshall, Indiana, with Pastor Brian Holt officiating. A Masonic Memorial service will take place prior to the funeral. Visitation will be held Monday, July 8th from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. at the church. Burial will take place in Bethany Cemetery East of Marshall. Barnes and Rice Funeral Home of Rockville, Indiana assisted with arrangements.