ay Woodard Lipe

ay Woodard Lipe, 81 of Morganton, N.C. died Thursday morning, August 04, 2011 following a yearlong battle with liver disease. He was born in Kannapolis, NC on January 11, 1930 and was a son of the late John Alexander Lipe and Ada Lou Overcash Lipe. He was a 1949 graduate of J.W. Cannon High School in Kannapolis, NC and served in the US Army during the Korean War. After his service he attended King’s College in Charlotte, NC and worked as a finance manager for Ralston Purina. He retired in 1995 from Southern Devises as a financial controller. Mr. Lipe was a 32nd degree Mason and Shriner.Ray is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barbara Simmons Lipe; two sons, David Kent Lipe and wife, Karleen, of Concord, NC and Kevin Scott Lipe and wife, Emily of Lexington, NC; one sister, Faye Cook of Concord, NC. Ray and Barbara were blessed with six grandchildren, Ashston and Julia Lipe of Fredericksburg, VA, Alexander and Audrianna Lipe of Lexington NC, Christian Lipe and Brandon Lamie of Concord, NC.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by four brothers, Otto, Homer, Floyd, and Marvin all of Kannapolis, NC and five sisters, Nell Tedder, Pauline Westmoreland, Mary Lou Johnson, Grace Gregory and Pearl McCormac all of Kannapolis, NC.The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 6, 2011 at First Baptist Church of Morganton with Rev. Frederick L. Schuszler officiating. The family will receive friends at the church parlor one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 950 West Faris Street, Greenville, SC 29605.The family wishes to express their appreciation to the staff of Burke Hospice and Palliative Care. Sossoman Funeral Home & Crematory Center is assisting family.