Ray Johnson

Ray Johnson

July 3, 1940 – May 6, 2026

Inman, South Carolina

James Ray Johnson of Inman, South Carolina passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Ray was born on July 3, 1940, to Horace and Nettie Johnson on the family farm in Inman, South Carolina. It was the tail end of the Great Depression, and while money was scarce, the family was rich in the things that mattered most—faith, love, and family. Ray was the eighth of ten children, and from an early age he learned the value of hard work picking peaches, cotton, and whatever else needed to be harvested at the time.

Later in life when Ray talked about his childhood, he rarely spoke of hardship. Instead, he remembered the laughter, the togetherness, and the simple joy of growing up surrounded by parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in a close-knit family that loved deeply and where no one ever faced life alone.

The importance of family that was instilled in him as a child stayed with him throughout his life. Even as the siblings grew older and built lives of their own, they remained incredibly close. Nine of them lived within minutes of one another and saw each other often, and even their brother who moved to New York stayed closely connected. To Ray, family was never treated as an obligation—it was simply a way of life. Even after he married and had children of his own, he still saw or spoke with his parents nearly every day, and his siblings were his best friends.

At 21 years old, Ray married Carolyn Cothran, and together they welcomed their daughter, Lisa Johnson. Although their marriage ended after 15 years, their love and respect for one another evolved into a lifelong friendship that endured for the rest of their lives. While the end of that chapter was painful, it ultimately opened the door for Ray to meet Mary McMeekin, the love of his life and his devoted wife of 37 years. When he married Mary in 1977, Ray also became a father to Lyn (Niles Leonard Etchison). Ray was a faithful and loving husband to Mary and father to Lyn until their respective deaths in 2014 and 2019.

Ray and Mary’s family continued to grow with the births of their daughters, Jennifer in 1980 and Allison in 1983. Over the years, the family expanded through marriages, grandchildren, and eventually a great-grandchild. Lyn welcomed his daughter Elizabeth in 1995. Jennifer and her husband, Wesley Lindner, welcomed Sadie, Hudson, and Ranger, while Allison and her husband, Joey Miller, welcomed Keegan, Kayden, and Kamdyn. Most recently, Elizabeth and her husband, Dale, welcomed their daughter Raelynn, making Ray a proud great-grandfather. Ray absolutely loved being a dad and “Papa.” Few things brought him more joy than supporting his children and grandchildren and spending time with family and friends.

His family takes comfort in imagining the joyful reunion in Heaven as Ray was welcomed by his wife Mary, his son Lyn, his grandson Keegan, his parents, siblings, and many other loved ones who went before him.

The disciplines of faith, family, hard work and service Ray learned in his youth guided him throughout his life. He grew up in and continued attending Rock Hill Baptist Church, which later became Lake Bowen Baptist Church, until his health no longer allowed him to attend in person, after which he continued watching online. The people in the church were not just people he saw on Sundays—they, along with his family, were the people he did life with. He was a proud board member of Parson’s Pantry, which was founded and run by Ron Jackson, his pastor, friend and spiritual advisor.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army and the South Carolina National Guard for almost 25 years and was a member of the American Legion. He helped organize and thoroughly enjoyed his Military retiree group breakfasts and events.

Ray took great pride in his years in the trucking industry, first driving long haul routes, then local routes, and later working on the dock for McLean Trucking Company and ABF. Along the way, he formed countless friendships and relationships that meant a great deal to him.

From an early age, Ray loved sports—basketball, football, golf, and especially baseball, which was his favorite. He not only enjoyed playing sports, he also faithfully supported the teams and people he loved. Whether it was cheering for the Chapman Panthers in his hometown of Inman or sitting in the stands watching his nieces, nephews, his children and grandchildren play, Ray was always one of their proudest and most faithful supporters.

After retiring from the trucking industry, Ray devoted much of his time to things that brought him joy - family, sports, supporting young people, and staying involved in the community. He worked at Village Greens Golf Course, where over the decades he played more rounds of golf than anyone could count, and he drove the Chapman High School activity bus for field trips and sporting events, proudly supporting the golf, baseball, and many other teams along the way.

Ray was happiest when he was helping and serving others, which he did in countless ways—cooking for people in the Army and National Guard, at church and American Legion events, while camping with Mary and their circle of friends, and at family cookouts.

He loved fellowship—sitting around a campfire and sharing stories at family gatherings, church events, sporting events, and military breakfasts, dinners, and meetings. His sharp sense of humor, big laugh, and sparkling blue eyes were unforgettable to those who knew and loved him.

Ray lived a life rooted in faith, family, hard work, service, and love. He showed up for people quietly and consistently, never seeking attention, only wanting to do what was right. His legacy lives on in the family he loved, the friendships he cherished, the people he helped, and the faith he carried to the very end. He fought the good fight, he finished the race, and he kept the faith.

Ray’s family is deeply grateful to the following caregivers whose love, compassion, and support allowed Ray to remain at home surrounded by family during the last years of his life: Danielle Leister, Veronica Tullis, Keaja Foster, Triniti Delby, and Mary Browning.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Seawright Funeral Home in Inman.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at Lake Bowen Baptist Church located at 404 Sugar Ridge Road in Inman, South Carolina, with the Revs. Brad Atkins and Kenny McDowell officiating.  Burial will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Inman, South Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Parson’s Pantry, parsonspantry.org, 262 East Gate Drive, PMB# 435, Aiken, SC 29803