Jimmie Ray Martin

Obituary: Jimmie Ray Martin died on August 28, 2012 from complications following a stroke. Born on January 16, 1932 in Gaston County, NC, he was the only son of Rev. and Mrs. A.C. Martin and grew up in Rutherford County. Jim attended Gardner-Webb University and the NC Law Enforcement Academy before beginning his career as a game enforcement officer with the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Jim and his family moved to Kannapolis in 1959 where they lived until 1995 when he retired to the family farm in Rutherfordton, N.C. While in Kannapolis, he worked in real estate and construction. He also worked in the concrete business and supervised much of the construction of I-85 in Concord, I-40 in the Asheville area and several of the NC tunnels along the Blue Ridge Pkwy. For 50 years, Jim was an accomplished private pilot and a 32rd Degree Mason with Cabarrus Lodge 720. He was a member of the Oasis Temple, active in Boy Scout Troup 36 in Kannapolis, the Royal Oaks Optimist Club, and McGill Ave. Baptist Church in Concord. He is preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Janet Cochran Martin who died in 1988. Jim is survived by his three sons, Tony (Michael), Jon (Julie), and Ward (Felicia) and six grandchildren, Christine, Luke, Amelia, Stephen, Thomas, and Titus. He enjoyed the lifelong support of wonderful friends and neighbors in Cabarrus and Rutherford Counties. A funeral service will be held 10:30 A.M. Saturday, September 1, 2012 at McGill Baptist Church with the Rev. Steve Ayers officiating. The family will receive friends 9:00-10:30 A.M. prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to the Janet C. Martin Scholarship Fund at Berea College, 1916 CPO Berea, Ky. 40404 or to the Tucker Hospice House 500 Hospice Lane Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Visitation: 9:00-10:30 a.m. Saturday September 1, 2012 Mc Gill Baptist Church

Service: 10:30 a.m. Saturday September 1, 2012 Mc Gill Baptist Church

Interment: Carolina Memorial Park