Obituary: Ray Heard

Ray Heard

April 7, 1929 - December 2, 2025

96 Years of Age

Mr. Ray Heard, age 96, went to heaven on December 2. 2025.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Frankie Ruth Aldridge Heard.  Together they spent most of their lives serving their community, family, and even strangers who became friends.

Mr. Heard was born in Phoenix, MS, later moving to Oil City and graduating from Anding High School in Bentonia.  He attended Mississippi College where he was a pitcher on the baseball team.  After serving in the US Army from 1953 – 1955, he returned to Bolton, MS, married, and went to work for Sperry Vickers, where he worked for 33 years.  However, his real work joy came from his side job of raising cows and gardens on his small farm in Bolton.  Born in 1929, he learned to hunt, and loved to hunt anything just to be outdoors.   His favorite was quail hunting in the days when quail were more abundant.  Some of his community service included serving as a Deacon at the Bolton Baptist Church for 58 years, and many of those years he also taught youth Sunday school classes.  His love of baseball (big Atlanta Braves fan) led him to coach the Bolton Little League teams for 16 years.  His traveling with Frankie was focused on anything and everything their grandchildren were involved in.

Along with Frankie, he is preceded in death by his parents, Verona and Chester Heard; and sisters, Miriam Watts, Barbara Patterson, and Audrey Faye Heard.  Survivors include, son, Steven (Lisa), grandson, Austin (Deanne) and great grandchildren, Jackson and Callie, grandson, Brandon (Chelsea) and great grandchildren, Paxton and Beckham; son, Michael (Kate), grandson, Andrew (Mimi) and great grandchildren, Carson and Shields, grandson, Sykes (Laura), great grandson, Saunders, and another on the way!

Visitation will be at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in Clinton, MS on Monday, December 8, 2025 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, and funeral service in the chapel there at 12:00 pm; followed by burial in Bolton Cemetery in Bolton, MS.

Memorials may be made to the Bolton Baptist Church or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

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