Ray Eugene Warren

Ray Eugene Warren, age 77, of Cedar Hill, passed away Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at his home. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 o’clock am Friday, May 20, 2011, at Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Pleasant View with Bro. John Maltais and Bro. Tom Payne officiating. Burial will follow at 1 o’clock pm in the Nashville National Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation with family will be 4-8:00PM Thursday and again on Friday at 9AM until the hour of service. Mr. Warren was born November 2, 1933 in Old Hickory, Tennessee to the late John and Ollie Garrett Warren. In 1947 Boys Town of Nebraska hosted The Veteran’s of Foreign Wars National Marble Tournament. Thirty-three states participated and Ray was the representative for Tennessee after winning the championship in Old Hickory at the age of 13. He won the First National Championship in Nebraska, beating 34 competitors. In 1951 he graduated from Dupont High School in Old Hickory. He was a pitcher for the Stewart Field Trims in the Newburgh, Delano-Hitch Major League Baseball team. September 27, 1953 he joined the United States Air Force serving as an Air Traffic Controller. During his service in the U.S. Air Force he won a bronze medal in the GSD Swimming and Diving 200 Meter Breast Stroke. He retired from the Air Force on October 1, 1972 with the rank of Technical Sergeant. After his retirement from the Air Force he attended Austin Peay State University where he earned his degree in Nursing in 1980. He spent the next 20 years working in the Special Care Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville where he was loved and an inspiration to all that he worked with. He was a member of Stroudsville Church of Christ. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Warren; son, James Ray Warren; brothers, Harry Warren, John Warren, Jr., Joe Thomas Warren; and sister, Francis Demontbreun. He is survived by his wife Patricia Ann Warren; sons, Joe Thomas (Luann) Warren of Clarksville and Dale Allen (Debbie) Warren of Cabot, Arkansas; daughters, Tracey Louise (Lanny) Coggin of Nashville, Nancy Lynn (Randy) Raymer of Cedar Hill, Lisa Marie (Hank) Fleming of Adams, and Rachel Diane (Jimmy) Renfro of Hinesville, Georgia; sisters, Anna Lou Nichols of Athens, Alabama, Katie Allison of Chattanooga, and Dorothy Jean Brown of Chattanooga; 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. The family requests memorial contributions be made to the Stroudsville Church of Christ. All donations may be sent in care of Austin & Bell. Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Pleasant View is in charge of these arrangements. www.austinandbell.com AUSTIN & BELL FUNERAL HOME-PLEASANT VIEW, TN (615) 746-4433.

Ray Eugene Warren

November 2, 1933 - May 17, 2011