James Evan Ray, 84 of Etowah, TN passed away Saturday, October 22, 2022. He was born, April 10, 1938, the oldest son of Everett Bruce Ray of Ellijay, GA and Alice Louise Alder Ray of Swedens Cove, Marion County, TN.

Evan was a graduate of Chattanooga High School where he was a member of the Chattanooga High School Band under A.R. Casavant. He was a graduate of the University of Chattanooga and the Cadek Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music in voice and music education; studying also at the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Technological University.

He taught at Gordon Lee Academy, North and South Elementary and Rossville Jr. High with Dale Shaffner, Ringgold Georgia High School, McMinn County High School, Central High School and in the McMinn County School System. He retired in 1990.

He served three years in the Tennessee National Guard and three years in the Army Reserve.

Evan served as choir director at the Oak Grove Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Keith Memorial Methodist Church in Athens, TN and St. Paul's United Methodist Church of Etowah. He was an avid ham radio operator, WA4PNI, since 1956, and was a secretary of the McMinn County Amateur Radio Club and was in charge of volunteer examiners for WCARS for amateur radio license exams.

He was preceded in death by his brother, John Bruce Ray of Chattanooga.

Survivors include his wife, Frances Virginia McCamish Ray; one son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Rebecca Ray; two grandsons, Chandler McCamish and William Grant Ray; sister, Carolyn Jean Kirkland of Birmingham, AL; sister-in-law, Ruth Ray of Navarro, FL; several nieces and nephews.

No services will be held at this time.