O b i t u a r y
Rayburn Cole "Ray" Waldrop
RAYBURN COLE "RAY" WALDROP of Clinton, passed away peacefully at age
89, on
Thursday, March 3, 2011, at his home while surrounded by family
and friends.
Mr. Waldrop was born in Giles County, TN, October 12, 1921
to the late Claude Alvin Waldrop and
Florence Roberta Barlar Waldrop.
He
served his country in the U.S. Navy
during WW II aboard the USS Salt Lake City as a MoMM2C.
Following his
military discharge he entered George Peabody College in Nashville and
graduated with a
degree in Chemistry.
He met his wife, the late Betty
Lynn Melton Waldrop, while in college and married her on February 8,
1948.
Following the marriage they moved to Oak Ridge, TN where Ray got a
job with Fairchild.
After a few years with Fairchild he transferred to
Union Carbide and began employment at the Y-12 Federal
Plant. He retired
from Union Carbide/BWXT after 53 years of service as a development
engineer in April of 2006
at age 84 and a half.
While employed at Y-12
he received several certificates of accomplishments including many
invention awards.
Ray was an avid bowler and he bowled on the Y-12
leagues for many years receiving many trophies. Before his
illness he
bowled in a senior league until October, 2010. He also enjoyed
gardening, golfing and spending time
with his family.
In addition to his
parents he was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Betty Lynn
Melton Waldrop and by
a brother, Claude Alvin Waldrop, Jr. He is
survived by daughters. Martha Lynn Waldrop Babb of Clinton and
Frieda
Diane Waldrop Dale and husband, Kenneth of Oak Ridge; by grandchildren,
Sara Lynn Seeber and husband,
Terry of Clinton, Samuel Jeffrey Babb and
wife, Samantha of Oak Ridge and Eric Dale of Oak Ridge; by two
great-grandchildren, Katie and Cole Babb of Oak Ridge. He is also
survived by a sister, Frieda Waldrop Cummings
of Pflugerville, TX; by
several nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews; and by a special
friend Mark Grim of
Norris, TN.
The family will receive friends
Saturday, March 5, 2011, between the hours of 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. at
Sharp Funeral
Home.
Burial and graveside services will be held Sunday,
March 6, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. at Woodhaven Memory Gardens
with full
military honors.
The family expresses their gratitude to the nurses
provided by Professional Care Management, especially Ivana.
Sharp
Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
An online guest book is
available at www.sharpfh.com
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel on March 5, 2011