Harold Ray Kerley went to be with the Lord on November 7, 2023, at 6:24 p.m.\u00a0 Life for Harold Ray Kerley began on November 25, 1942 in Waukegan, IL.\u00a0 His parents were Hubert Ray Kerley and Helen Rose (Stewart) Kerley.\u00a0 Ray (as he was known to everyone) lived in North Chicago, IL until the family moved to Southern Illinois.\u00a0 The Kerley\u2019s were a hard-working farm family.<\/p>\n
Ray grew up living the farm life.\u00a0 He was an active member of Gilead Presbyterian Church in Simpson, IL.\u00a0 He attended school in Simpson, IL and graduated in 1960 from Vienna High School in Vienna, IL.<\/p>\n
His senior year of high school he worked at Mount Funeral Home in Vienna, IL.\u00a0 After graduation from high school he moved to Waukegan, IL and went to work at Coca Cola Bottling Co.\u00a0 In 1965 \u201cUncle Sam\u201d called him to the U.S. Army.\u00a0 He served in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, Ft. Sill, OK, Ft. Chaffee, AR and Vietnam.\u00a0 In his early years, Ray ran a Clark Oil station in Waukegan, IL.\u00a0 Later he worked at Dill Brothers Welding, Kramer\u2019s Kampers, and Berens Moving & Storage.\u00a0 He worked at Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago and retired from there in 2008.<\/p>\n
In June 1967, he married Sylvia Irene Fowler at the Midland Heights Methodist Church in Ft. Smith, AR.\u00a0 They moved to Park City, IL.\u00a0 During their years together they purchased homes in Winthrop Harbor, IL, and then Pleasant Prairie, WI.<\/p>\n
Ray and Sylvia loved the Lord and treasured their time doing his work.\u00a0 They attended Lakeview Church in Zion, IL for many years.\u00a0 Ray was active on the church board where he served as treasurer.\u00a0 He enjoyed helping with projects around the church.\u00a0 Later they attended Immanuel Baptist Church in Kenosha. WI.<\/p>\n
Ray and Sylvia were blessed with two sons, Kevin Ray (44) and Kent Ryan (42).\u00a0 Both married awesome women that were like his own daughters (Samantha Kerley and Taylor Kerley).\u00a0 They also were blessed with three grandchildren, Jaxson (14), Ashlynn (11) and Atlee (3).<\/p>\n
In 2008, they retired and moved to Goreville, IL to be near his parents and family.\u00a0 Ray always wanted to be involved in something.\u00a0 He enjoyed working at the Goreville Ministerial Alliance.\u00a0 There he helped organize the food pantry and organized other areas as needed.\u00a0 In 2012, he was Goreville Man of the Year.\u00a0 After retiring to Southern IL, they attended the First Baptist Church in Goreville for several years and then started attending Lake of Egypt Christian Church in Marion, IL.\u00a0 They loved serving at that church.\u00a0 Ray served on the board as a trustee and helped with many projects including the fellowship hall and the expansion at the front of the church.\u00a0 They loved that church, the friends they made and especially Pastor Waggoner and his wife, Barbara.<\/p>\n
It was hard to leave that area, but in 2019, his sons decided that their parents needed to move back to Kenosha.\u00a0 Sylvia was in a wheelchair and had some health issues making it necessary to be closer to their family.\u00a0 They moved into a condo in Kenosha.\u00a0 Several years later they purchased a home in Kansasville, WI to be near their sons.\u00a0 They started going to Southport Baptist in Kenosha, WI but were not able to attend very often because of health issues.<\/p>\n
Ray loved to make things for his home and enjoyed woodworking.\u00a0 He made things for his family and grandchildren that they still use today.\u00a0 During the last several years, Ray enjoyed living out his daily life tending to the yard, home and spending time with his family.\u00a0 It was such a blessing to have a family that cares.\u00a0 God is so good.<\/p>\n
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Donald Eugene Kerley and Ronald Glenn Kerley (Roma).\u00a0 Ray is survived by his wife, Sylvia of 56 years, two sons, Kevin Ray (Samantha) of Kansasville, WI and Kent Ryan (Taylor) of Union Grove, WI; his three grandchildren, Jaxson, Ashlynn and Atlee and his sister-in-law, Lois Kerley (Don) of Vienna, IL and many cousins, nephews and nieces.<\/p>\n
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Memorial services honoring Harold\u2019s life will be held at a later date.<\/p>\n