J. Ray Quinn 64 years-old of Gulf Breeze, Florida, (formerly of Ardmore, AL), went home to be with his Lord on Sunday July 27th, 2008. Visitation will be from 6-8PM Thursday, July 31st at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 1936 Elkwood Section Rd., Hazel Green, Alabama. Funeral services will be at 2PM August 1st at Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Ray is survived by his wife Sharon Quinn and mother Katie Quinn of Ardmore, Alabama, daughters Tonya Smart and husband Tim of Mt. Wolf, PA, and Tammy Dorlag and husband Paul of Gulf Breeze, FL. grandchildren Rachel Stracener, husband A.J., Cody Lockler, Shane Dorlag, Austin Smart, Taylor Smart, Tera Dorlag and great granddaughter Dacey Stracener. Several nieces and nephews and beloved friends.
Ray was the beloved son of Aubrey and Katie Quinn of Ardmore, AL, he was proceeded in death by father Aubrey Quinn, brothers Wayne and Roger Quinn of Ardmore.
Ray was a standout football player at Ardmore High School and inducted into the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame. Ray worked with both the Alabama and Florida Film commissions helping to bring dozens of films to the southeast.
Ray worked as a television producer and radio syndicator in Nashville, TN, before retiring to Florida in 2005 to be close to his family.
Ray worked as a television producer and radio syndicator in Nashville, TN, before retiring to Florida in 2005 to be close to his family.
In lue of flowers the family request that donations be made in memory of Ray Qunn to Ministry Village in Care of Olive Baptist Church, 1836 East Olive Rd., Pensacola, Fl 32514.
You can leave message to the family in the comment section of this blog or tell a story related to Ray for the family to read.
You can leave message to the family in the comment section of this blog or tell a story related to Ray for the family to read.
11 comments:
I first met Ray in August of 1987 and would go on to work with him for the next 21 years.
Ray was more than a friend to me, friends often times only tell you want to hear, Ray was a father to me and told me things good or bad to help me grow.
We shared many laughs and a few tears along the way but we never were not around when one needed the other.
Ray has helped me become a better father to my daughter, a better husband to my wife, and a better person to the world.
Later on I will share some of our adventures like the girl who played Shamu in our Christmas video, and the country singer that brought a goat to be his girlfriend and of the many bologna sandwich dreams and memories we shared.
I will not just miss Ray but I will walk differently than before, he was a part of me and now I have to take the lessons he helped to teach me and learn to walk leaning on the One he lend on and try not to bring shame to Ray or the Jesus he served.
I love you and will miss you Ray.
Your adopted son,
Brett
They don't come any better than Ray Quinn. In my 20 years in the film and entertainment industry, I can truly say he's one of the best people I've ever met. He always greeted me with either a hug, a joke, or a smile. YOu will be missed, Ray. Sharon, my heart goes out to you and your family.
Octavia Spencer
I could write a novel about Ray Quinn. He was a friend, a mentor, but
most of all he was a visionary. I made a phone call to him back in 1988
that changed my life. I wanted to start working on movies, and he made a
phone call that got me an internship on the first episode of “Saturday
Night with Connie Chung,” with James Earl Jones. Our friendship began
from the first second that we met. Every time I had a question about the
film business, I called Ray. He always took my calls. He always believed
in my ideas. He was a giving soul, and shared his contacts with anybody
that needed help. I cannot even imagine that he has moved onward to the
next adventure so early. It has always been a comfort knowing that he was
a phone call away. I’ll miss him, but I know that God has a bigger plan.
I’ll take comfort now in knowing that he is a guardian angel watching over
all of us that he mentored for so many years.
Tonya S. Holly
I first met Ray in Daytona Beach when he showed up with a producer and director location scouting for a Kenny Rogers movienamed Six Pack. It was also my first day on the job at Daytona beach Chamber of Commerce. He knew I was a rookie and walked me through everything without ever letting anyone know. What a guy.
We have been friends for 22 years. Keping touch every two or three years to see how everyone is doing and where they were kind of thing.
I heard from Ray right after i lost my husband Benny Parsons in 2007 to lung cancer. He had heard it on TV and had seen a special that NASCAR and NBC had done on his life.
They do not make guys like this any more. A truly great man with a deep love of God and his family.
Sharon, I never had the honor of meeting you or the girls but I have felt like I have known you as long as I have known him.
I certainly know what you and your family are going through righ now and would love to tell you the pain will stop. But it won't. It will just become a different way of life.
All of us that knew him are better people for his friendship. He is now walking with God where he belongs.
Big Hugs!
Terri Parsons
Dear Sharon and Family, My prayers have been said for Ray and will continue for your healing and for new blesings to come into your lives. The loss of a husband and father will always remain within your heart, but it is this time that we rejoice in the knowledge that Ray is with our Lord and Master God the Father of all who gives us everlasting life.It is truely the only comfort that is sustaining as we go forward after such a terrible loss of a dear loveone.
Sharon, I never had the pleasure of meeting you are your family and for that am sorry. Terri Keel Parsons my Dear friend for over 20 years e-mailed me of Rays passing and Brett was kind enough to call me and he surely is a dear friend of Ray's to take on this duty of love and compassion at this time for his family.
I met Ray when he was with the Florida Film Bureau and I was President of the Central Florida Chapter of the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association and V.P. of the State Association. We met when I was elected to the first Florida Film Council in Orlando. The then Governor Bob Graham was there. Ray and I became very close friends and tried to work on differnt film project throughout the years. Ray was very talented and really well versed in the music world as well as the film community. Ray is the reason I met Terri Keel Parsons another great friend. I found out Paul Newman was coming to Daytona Beach to the NASCAR Race Track to shoot a Nisson Commercial. I met Ray in Dayton and we drove My motor home down to meet Terri and take her with us to the track to meet Paul and the film crew. I knew Paul from the early 70's when I met him on the set of The Towering Inferno which was filmed in Hollywood. Ray said;" hey Jerry, Terri and the whole office at the Daytona Beach chamber (where Terri was running the film section)thinks Paul Newman is coming in to meet everyone, will you act like you are him?" I use to look alot like him BF (before fat)so I told Ray; "you know we might just fool them" and we did, big time. They bought it hook line and sinker. We took Terri out of their and left them still beleiving thay had all meet Paul Newman. What fun, even Terri was fooled untill we were pulling into the track. Well, we pull into the track and I flashed my Business Card and the guards let me through and across the track with my motor home and I drove right down the track to the Filming area. Some P.A.'s run up franticly to stop me. I jumped out and went right up to Paul and that was all they needed to turn tail and find something else to do. Paul came on my motor home and visited with Ray and Terri and I. What fun! Then as Ray and Terri were visiting the Production Crew, Paul and I took off in the 240Z (right hand drive) Nisson car they had flown in from Japan for the commercial that Paul was driving and you should have seen the Japanese Producers eyes when we left the track. No one said a word as we left the track at high speed and went to Steak and Shake on SR92 for lunch while the crew was eating lobster and steak, we had a Steak burger. Ray and Terri visited with the Japanese Producers and I am sure, tried to calm their nerves. That was a great adventure and one of the great times we had together, my dear friend Ray and I. I truely loved Ray Qunn, for his Heart was pure and his spirit joyful. I will miss him until we meet again. I'll bet he is talking with Benny Parsons as I write this novel. I offer this poem I wrote about friendship, for friendship is the joy and richness in this short life we all live in such haste.
it is titled:
"SPROUTING"
You dropped a seed
Gently letting it find
I have run out of room to finish this peom, sorry.
My Prayers and concern to you all,
Jerry Barrett
I cant write YET, BUT I will, Thanks Gina...One talent
I am so sad to hear of Rays passing. He was very good to me. His help was always welcome and it came without hesitation. He always encouraged me and lived up to what he said. I will miss him. God bless until we meet again. Friends always. Mr. Sandy W. Foust
Ray was a wonderful brother-in-law. My favorite memory is when he wanted me to film a commercial for Buy-Wise. He was so patient he let me do it over and over again because they said my accent was too southern. I finally got through it. I also have a wonderful sister-in-law Sharon who has always been there for me. She loved Ray dearly and I know this will be a long journey for her. She will survive because she is such a Godly woman. I hope she knows how I love her and her family.
Love
Yvonne Quinn-Cantrell
I met Ray when we moved into the same neighborhood in Huntsville Al. in 1971.At the time Ray worked for a soft drink bottling company. My first contact with him was early one morning, when he was trying to start the company vehicle. I offered my assistance and he told me if we could give the vehicle a push it might kick off. We did and it did. It also kicked off a thirty seven year friendship in which our families became one.
Over the years, because of Ray, my family was able to travel places that we may not have been able to travel otherwise.
one of those places, early on, was to Disney. Before I express one of my memories of that trip, I want to remind everyone of Ray's competitive nature. With that in mind, while at Disney, Ray and I played a round of golf. On one of the holes, Ray's tee shot hooked out of the fairway into a drainage ditch that had a small amount of water in it. Ray argued the ball had landed in casual water and by rule he should be allowed to take a free drop without a stroke penality. When I didn't agree, he decided to take the stroke penality with the understanding we would get a ruling from the pro when we started on the back nine. When we arrived at that point Ray decided it probably was not casual water and we did not check with the pro. It easy telling this story when Ray is not here to defend himself.
We also traveled to the Bahamas with a group of Huntsville business men. While there we ran into a Canadian Hockey Team and a tug of war challenge was made. Ray sized the situation up and decided to put the largest guy in our group at the end of the rope so that he could conceal the fact that we had tied our in of the rope to a tree. When the Hockey team discovered this and untied the rope, the competition was over. I also remember the moped rides and the balogna sandwichs at the country store.
Tours of Nashville, CMA awards,the crook and chase show, trip to the smokies. the list goes on and on and all made possible by Ray.
To Sharon, Tammy, Tonya and the entire family, from our family to yours. We love you and we had the honor of sharing with you a love for Ray. We are now sharing a love of our memories of Ray and we are finding that we miss him very much.
One thing for sure, our families have formed a bond that will never be broken. We will always be as one.
I can't remember the first time I met Ray... I was only 2 years old. I do remember the influence he had and still has on my life. He was literally like a second father to me. We have always laughed and said that if God had let us choose our family, we would have chosen the Quinns. Ray, Uncle Pop, was one of those people that stood behind you telling you how good you could be when you didn't think you had it in you. I remember the pep talks on the sideline at the softball field. I couldn't have been any older than 9 when he pulled me to the side and told me that as bad as I wanted to play 2nd base, the team needed me at first. Then he gave me a glove the size of Texas and set me on first base. That's where I stayed my entire softball career with the exception of 1 year. That's the year he wanted me to try 3rd base. Knowing I wouldn't want to make the change, he pulled out the big guns. "Now Missy, if Pete Rose can do it, I know you can." That's all it took. I was on 3rd. It must not have worked out too good. Before long, I was back at 1st. Regardless of what position you were playing on the field or what your situation was in life, Ray was always there to encourage you. I love him and miss him very much.
To my "family-in-law" Sharon, Tammy and Tonya... We are praying for you daily and please know that we share your grief.
When I think about my relationship/experiences with Ray, so many things come to mind that I could write a book. Ray was not only a brother-in-law but a true friend. He never met a stranger. If you had just been introduced to him, within minutes you would feel like you had known him all your life. A part of him was private and he was not the type of person that would burden you with his private challenges. He had a special talent that made those he was around feel comfortable and enjoy being with him.
He was truly a visionary, always optimistic, believing better things were yet to come. He truly loved and appreciated Sharon, Tonya, and Tammy. He was so very proud of his girls and their families. He enjoyed taking them places where his business had taken him. To Tonya, Tammy and your families, you have our love and support as we share the "priceless" memories that Ray allowed us to be a part of. Grandchildren and great grandchild, please know how proud he was of you. He wanted to see each of you be the best you can be, always putting God first in everything you do. I challenge you to be "all you can be," always remembering that he is with you.
I remember the times that I made trips to Nashville with Ray. He went with Ann and I when we were looking for property. He and Sharon lived in Hazel Green at the time. He was like a tour guide, showing us around Nashville. We thoroughly enjoyed our day with him. He would always get excited when he told us about his experiences in Nashville. The times that he and I went to Nashville he introduced me to many people in the country music industry. We visited Mel Tillis on more than one occasion. The people we visited were always excited to see Ray. It was evident that they knew him very well. Very seldom did a year go by that didn't offer me an opportunity to get CMa Award tickets.
Every year around July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years the family would gather in Decatur at Mom and Dad's house. Various members of the family would bring/invite their friends over as well. There were so many special times spent with family and friends. That's where we first met Tom and Sharon Thompson and their children. What a Godsend they have been to Sharon and Ray as well as to the entire Ratliff/Quinn families. To Sharon and Tom - thank you again for being there, may God bless you and your family for your love and support.
I remember at holiday gatherings, the grandchildren could not wait for Sharon and Ray to arrive. They knew Ray would always get them together and play football and video games. He would spend hours playing with them. He would always be the one to get the games started with the family. We would play cards (in shifts) throughout the night. We were playing "spoons" (card game) one evening when Ray leaped to grab a spoon and fell across the kitchen table and broke it. We had some explaining to do to Mom and Dad the next morning as well as repair work on the table.
The guys started a "annual tradition" every Christmas/New Years. We would get together and play golf at Point Mallard. It didn't matter whether it was raining, sleeting, or snowing, we played. We continued the tradition this past Thanksgiving in Gulf Breeze at the family reunion. It was 42 degrees with a wind of 10-15 miles per hour. To make it a bit more like Point Mallard we played a course on the water. It was cold!! I am so glad we played the round. Ray grabbed his clubs, put on his gloves and toboggan and went with us. I believe he really enjoyed the day. I have played many rounds of golf with Ray and he always had fun and tried to make sure everyone else enjoyed it as well. He would tell stories about people in the movie business or country music business that he had played with. Golf can be a very frustrating game but I never remember Ray getting upset or angry if he hit a bad shot or didn't score well. He was there to have fun and enjoy being with family and friends.
One of the things that Mom and Dad always talked about was how much they enjoyed their weekend trips with Sharon and Ray. They said Ray knew every road and "pigtrail" in Alabama and Tennessee. Ray would always find a little country store and get Dad hoop cheese and a grape drink. They enjoyed those trips so much.
I remember visiting Sharon and Ray in Florence, AL. I believe he was attending Florence State at the time. We went to a fair/carnival. Ray and I rode one of those ferris wheels with enclosed seats. He and I rocked the thing until we got it upside down and it stuck in that position when the wheel stopped with us at the very top. We tried to get it to rotate right side up but could not get it to turn until the wheel started again. We enjoyed some good upside down conversation.
Ray joined me one day at Decatur High's football field/track. We decided to run the 440 (just jogging) but with about 200 yeards left it turned into a race. I noticed that he was taking about two strides to my one stride. When we finished he walked over, look up at me and said, "it's a tall man's world isn't it?" He always made it pleasant no matter what we were doing.
During the last five or six years, Ray and I developed a much deeper, intangible type of friendship. It was a relationship that went beyond what it had been before. Neither of us needed to mention anything about what we felt because we just felt it inside. I will always cherish that relationship and will miss the fellowship we enjoyed until we are able to continue the relationship in the future.
Thank you Ray!!
Byron
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