James "Jim" Russell Ray, 80, Adrian, Missouri, died Saturday, April 16, 2016 at his home. Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at the Adrian United Methodist Church with visitation Tuesday, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Adrian United Methodist Church Building Fund or to Heartland Hospice.

Very peacefully, in his home, Jim departed this life in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 16. As the sun rose on that glorious morning, Jim was already in the loving arms of his Lord and Savior. Free of pain, free of torment.

Jim was born on March 30, 1936 in Butler, Mo. He was the only child of Russell and Glessner (Deffenbaugh) Ray. It was on a blind date in 1955 that Jim met that special lady that would become his life's partner. On August 3, 1957 he married Helen Elizabeth (Liz) Ekstam under the arch in her childhood home in Eugene, Missouri. Jim and Liz enjoyed 58 years together. To this union, two sons were born, Mark and Matthew.

He attended both elementary and high school at Adrian R-III School and graduated in 1954. After high school, Jim furthered his education at the University of Missouri in Columbia in the school of forestry and also engineering. Jim served his country in The U. S. Army as a Relay and Carrier Operator and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Jim was employed with the Corps of Engineers and later with the Internal Revenue Service as a Corporate Examiner and taught examiner classes. He concluded his last couple of years of employment with The IRS with what he referred to as a much less stressful position, building maintenance.

Jim was just another example of God's Great Gifts. His love and service to The Lord, his family and his community was second to none. He was a quiet and reserved man. More importantly, in his service, he was quietly determined. He was an extremely gifted individual with great talents, talents to be shared with others. As a need would arise, Jim would quietly step up, do whatever needed to be done, and then with no accolades humbly move on.

For many of those in his generation, technology is a thing of mysterious wonder. Not for Jim. Back in the early 1980's, he was one of the first to have a computer in his home. This was before the days when one would go to Wal-Mart or Best Buy to acquire software for their computer. Jim entered his own programs, thousands of lines of commands, one keystroke at a time. And what's more, he understood exactly how it all worked. He shared this talent with others. In 1982 he volunteered to enter and track (from the beginning) every graduate of AHS including names, addresses, phone numbers and the year they graduated. This information has proven to be a great asset over the years, especially for those wishing to contact classmates for class reunions. Jim also served as the "I.T. Guy" for The Adrian United Methodist Church of which he was a long-time member. Setting up and maintaining all computers and office equipment for the church with only one exception, he kept the password. If you wanted to use the church's computer, you had to see Jim.

Jim served the church in numerous capacities. He served as Membership Secretary, Historian, VBS Crew Leader and Treasurer for about as long as anyone can remember and served on The Administrative Council for the building addition. After the completion of the building addition, Jim and Liz volunteered a couple of days each week to clean and maintain the church. Jim was the caretaker of the church and guarded the thermostat. And for about as long as anyone can remember, Jim taught an adult Sunday School Class. No one seems to remember the formal name given to that class; it was just "Jim's Sunday School Class." As an extension of their service to The Lord and community, Jim and Liz faithfully visited residents at The Adrian Manor. Jim also found time in his busy schedule to serve two terms on The Bates County Museum Board of Directors and was Vice President his second term. He always made himself available for any and all projects at the museum. As a side note, Jim's father Russell Ray served on the Original Board of Directors of The Bates County Museum in 1961.

Jim enjoyed reading and expanding his never ending horizons. The Bible was always a part of his daily reading, and over the years he read the Bible through many times. His thirst for knowledge was never quenched. If he had an interest in something he would first research the topic then dive in as an expert beginner. He enjoyed working outdoors, gardening, landscaping and for a time was a bee keeper. A couple of years ago Jim took up cooking. He bought a programmable pressure cooker and began to watch cooking shows on TV. His wife Liz so enjoyed the many new dishes and meals that Jim brought to fruition.

Jim is survived by his wife, Liz Ray; son, Mark Ray and partner, Chad Huntington, and a long line of extended family, friends and loved ones. He was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Glessner Ray and his son Matthew Ray.

Jim Ray was a very special person and will forever remain in our hearts.