RAY S. LEEPER
Church Hill- Ray Scover Leeper, 80, of Church Hill went home to be with his heavenly father on Thursday evening (January 10, 2008) following a lengthy illness.
He was a lifelong resident of Church Hill. He was a member of Lyons Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church where he served on the trustee board & the steward along with being an affiliate of Saint Mark’s United Methodist Church in Kingsport. Ray shared his culinary talents for 41 years as the Executive Chef at Tennessee Eastman Company. He continued to bless churches, friends and family with his gifts from the kitchen & his heart his entire life. His love of cooking lives on through his children, grandchildren & friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John Edward Leeper & Kate Leeper; the mother of his children, Mary B. Leeper; his brothers, James Carter (J.C.) Leeper, William (Bill) Leeper, John Edward (Junior) Leeper; his sisters, Mary Alice Leeper Carroll, Fannie Lou Leeper Horton and Ethel Mae Leeper Bond.
Ray Scover Leeper is survived by his daughters, Debbie M. Gray & her husband, Bruce (Clinton Maryland), Donna Charles (Raleigh, NC), Dia Smith & her husband, D C (Johnson City, TN) & Deanna Maxwell (Knoxville, TN); his sons, Rev. William Rayburn Leeper & his wife, Jessie (Greeneville, SC) & Ray (Ray Ray) S. Leeper II (Gray, TN); his devoted companion & friend, Ethel Ruth Russell (Kingsport, TN) along with her children, Sherry, Robin, Teresa & Scottie; his grandchildren, Pierre, Ramon, Michelle, Tia, Christopher, Cristin, Mia, Melissa & Amber; 6 great grandchildren; a very special brother-in-law, Dana Carroll (Frisco, Texas); his special cousins, Zeola Leeper & Barbara Hoskins; he is also survived by several more cousins, a host of nieces, nephews & many dear friends.
A visitation will be held on Friday (January 18, 2008) from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at Carter-Trent Funeral Home of Church Hill or friends may also call anytime at the residence.
A homegoing service will be conducted on Friday (January 18, 2008) at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Rev. James A. Snapp being the officiant.
A graveside service will follow the funeral at Lyons Chapel Cemetery Annex with Ozine Bly, William Carpenter, Richard Ford, James W. Leeper, Gregory Manis & Dion Russell serving as pallbearers. Honorary Pallbearers will be Clifford Leeper, James A. Leeper & Billy Lyons.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lyons Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 1117, Church Hill, TN 37642.
Carter-Trent Funeral Home of Church Hill is serving the Leeper family.
