Ray Pruett

Canton - Ray Lloyd Pruett, 96, passed away on Sunday, January 24th.  Ray was born July 15, 1924 at the old Pruett homeplace on Allen Farm Road in Canton, NC.  His parents were Lloyd G. and Ethel A. Pruett.  Ray was preceded in death by his dear wife, Mickey, of 70 years in 2017.

Ray served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II.  He was stationed in New York City and Jersey City, NJ, and he was responsible for loading transport ships with military supplies bound to the European Theater.  He was also a fireman for the USCG.  After the war, Ray came home to Canton, and started his family about the same time he began work for AT&T.  He worked for AT&T for 33 years.  Ray loved the great outdoors, and he was an avid photographer, enjoyed a lifetime of “rock hounding”, lapidary, jewelry making, fishing, hiking, woodworking, and traveling.  He loved to grow flowers, and he grew a big vegetable garden for many years.  Ray was inquisitive about nature and science, and he loved to read.  He was close to his boys and passed along a lot of “old mountain knowledge” to them.  Ray loved mountain clog dancing as well as Western dancing, and it was a hobby he had for many years.  Ray knew what a lot of “mountain treasures” are and were.  A person could ride down the road with him and get an education looking at different fruit and nut trees; or in the geology of the location.  Ray was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Canton, he volunteered over 3000 hours at the Oteen VA Hospital, and he was a quiet, constant friend to many.  Having lived in a time that, for him, was more neighborly and less complicated, he was devoted to staying in touch with friends and family.  Ray’s boys were always hearing from people that, “Your Dad came to see me the other day!”  Ray was a caring husband, a loving father, and a devoted grandfather (and great grandpa).  He was a gentle soul, and he was a man with a heart that beat for helping his fellow man.  He will be greatly missed and dearly remembered.  Ray attended Faith Community Church in Haywood County, and when he could no longer drive, he would watch the services on his iPad.

He is survived by his two sons and their wives, Marc and Anita, and Matthew and Karen, all from Canton.  Ray had five grandchildren; Marc’s:  Elizabeth Pruett of Greenville, SC, Zachary Pruett of Hendersonville, NC, Callie Pruett and her fiancé Danny of Washington, DC;  Matt’s:  Amy Pruett West, her husband Todd West and their children Andrew, Ellie, Hannah, and Matalin of Vermont; and Christopher Pruett , his wife Ami and their children Eleni and Anneke of Canton, NC.

The Pruett family would like to express profound thanks to the staff of Autumn Care Nursing Home for the kind, caring attention they gave to Ray during the three years he was in their care.  Due to the concerns with the COVID virus, a public service is not being planned, but please feel free to celebrate the life of Papaw Ray in a way that is meaningful to you.  If anyone would like to honor his memory with a gift, please make a donation to Haywood County Meals on Wheels, 157 Paragon Parkway, Suite 300, Clyde, NC  28721.

The care of Mr. Pruett has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes of Canton and an online memorial register is available at “Obituaries” at www.wellsfuneralhome.com