Obituary - H. Ray Millard Jr.
Ray Millard, 82, passed away Thursday, July 22, 2021. He was born June 25, 1939 in Muse, Oklahoma. He attended Sequatchie Elementary School and Marion County High School in Jasper, Tennessee, graduating 5th in his class in 1958. At MCHS he was a member of the Beta Club, Journalistic Club, Annual Staff, M Club, History Club, Band, Quill & Scroll and was a member of the varsity basketball team. He attended the University of Chattanooga from 1958 to 1962, graduating in 1962. While at UC, he was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps, Society for the Advancement of Management, the Methodist Student Union, the Engineers Club and Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
Upon graduation he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps of the United States Army. After basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia and Fort Eustis, Virginia, he spent two years as the Transportation Officer in Bremerhaven, Germany. He returned from Germany in 1964, and served until 1970 in the Army Reserve. He was Company Commander of the 212th Heavy Truck Company, and Transportation Officer of the 3397 Headquarters Battalion, attaining the rank of Captain before leaving the Reserves. Medals and Ribbons awarded were the Overseas Service Award, the American Defense Medal, National Defense Medal and 11 other medals and ribbons.
He worked as the Chief Chemist of the Chattanooga Central Soya plant from 1964 until 1966. He became an underwriter at Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1966 in the Major Accounts Division of the Group Department. He was promoted to Senior Underwriter in 1971, then to Senior Account Executive in 1984 before going into management in 1990. He served as Manager, District Manager, Division Manager and then Director of Operations for the Northeast Region of Provident's Group Department. He served in similar positions with HealthSource and CIGNA when Provident’s Group Operations were sold to HealthSource, and then sold by HealthSource to CIGNA. He retired in May of 2002.
Since retirement he has been active with the UC/UTC Alumni Association, the Ringgold American Legion, two Provident Retirement organizations, the Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Association, the Volunteers In Medicine Clinic in Eastgate, and served as both President and Vice President of Elder Scholars, a recognized UC/UTC organization of the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga Campus. He was a member of the 50 Plus Club of the University of Chattanooga and a member of the Class of 1962 Reunion Committee. He was on the Board of Directors of the Jasper Regional History Museum, was a member of the National and the Chattanooga Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He had been a member of Owen Methodist Church in Sequatchie, Tennessee, Tyner Methodist Church and was currently a Charter Member (1984) of Christ Methodist Church in East Brainerd.
He married Janet Renea Parham on August 30, 1965. They lived in the East Brainerd area from 1965 to 1995, moving to Ringgold, Georgia in 1995. While in East Brainerd, he helped organize and served as the first President of the East Brainerd Jaycees. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Junior Miss Program, President of the Westview and Ooltewah Middle School PTA, and President of the Ooltewah High School Band Boosters Club. He also played slow pitch softball for Tyner Methodist Church, Christ Methodist Church, Provident Life and Accident Company and several other teams. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader, and coached T-Ball and Minor League Youth Baseball teams at the East Brainerd Youth Baseball Center. He was an avid skeet and trap shooter, shooting in both the Provident League and the City Industrial League.
He was preceded in death by his parents H. Ray Millard, Sr. and Betty Jayne Dollahite Millard of Sequatchie, Tennessee, his sister Rebecca Millard Hoge, her husband Tom Hoge of Harrison, Tennessee, sister Betty Millard Gates her husband Phil Gates of Atlanta, Georgia and brother in law Jere Graham of Jasper, Tennessee.
He is survived by his wife Janet P Millard of Ringgold, Georgia, Son Rip (Ray III) Millard of Chattanooga, Tennessee, daughter Amanda Millard Quinn and her husband Michael of Knoxville, Tennessee and son Jeffrey Millard and wife Jessica of Rogersville, Tennessee. Sister Jewell Graham of Jasper, Tennessee. Grandchildren Autumn, Chase (Ray IV) & Chris (Christian Joseph) Millard of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Savannah and Thomas Quinn of Knoxville, Tennessee and Neely and Emma Millard of Rogersville, Tennessee. Several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jasper Regional History Museum c/o Treasurer, P. O. Box 655, Jasper, TN 37347 or your favorite charity.
To share condolences please visit lane-southcrestchapel.com
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 24th, 2021 at 12pm in the South Crest Chapel with Pastor David Hall officiating. Interment will follow in the Lakewood Memory Gardens South with military honors.
The family will receive friends on Friday from 4-8pm in the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home & Crematory, Rossville.