Ray Cauthen

Ray Emerson Cauthen, 90, of Concord, died Thursday, July 10, 2014, at Tucker Hospice House following a short period of declining health.

A celebration of Ray’s life will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, at Hartsell Funeral Home Chapel, 460 Branchview Dr. NE., Concord, NC 28025. The Rev. Jimmy Barrett will officiate, and burial with full Masonic rites will follow in Carolina Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. prior to the service.

A Gaston County native, Ray was the oldest of three children born to the late Ralph Emerson Cauthen and LuLa Mae Biggart Cauthen. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Buford Cauthen; his sister, Gladys Cauthen Crenshaw; and great-grandson, Grayson Philip Furr. His wife of more than 50 years, Lena Lee Cauthen, died on July 7, 2003.

Ray attended Concord High School and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, serving until June 10, 1952. After enlisting he was assigned to the LST 754. He continued serving in the Naval Reserves until he was called back for the Korean War. During the Korean War, he served on the destroyer USS Walker. He was honorably discharged and worked as an electrician at Cannon Mills Plant No. 6, Davis Electrical Contractors in Virginia, and Duke Energy prior to his retirement in 1989. He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Cabarrus Masonic Lodge 720 of which he was a past Master and a Charter Member.

Ray joined the Cabarrus County Shrine Club in 1977 and transported sick and crippled children and their families to the Shriners Hospitals in Greenville, SC, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Sincerely committed to helping others, he made more than 266 trips to the hospitals, inspiring and uplifting those he helped. A member of the Carolina Cardinal Campers, he enjoyed taking his grandchildren camping and attending their sporting events.

He is survived by two sons, Randy Emerson Cauthen, of Kannapolis, and Keith Ellison Cauthen and wife, Jane Swaringen Cauthen, of Mt. Pleasant; seven grandchildren, Kammie C. Dill (Byran) of Concord; Kristie C. Ingle, Kerrie Cauthen, and Randy Cauthen, II, all of Kannapolis; Lori C. Furr (Phil), Katie Cauthen and Ben Cauthen, all of Mt. Pleasant; 11 great-grandchildren; and special friend, Evelyn Faggart.

A special thanks to Dr. Schwartz, Dr. Debord and their staff.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Ray’s memory be made to Poplar Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, 3476 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, NC, 28027 or to Hospice and Palliative Care of Cabarrus County, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28083.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the Cauthen family.