Raymond "Ray" Leroy Grice

Raymond Leroy Grice, 89, of Davis, passed away Saturday, April 26, 2025, peacefully in his home surrounded by his family.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the Davis Free Will Baptist Church in Davis, NC, with Pastors Steve Cranks and Jimmy Mercer officiating. Burial will follow at Oscar Davis Cemetery in Davis. The family will receive friends from 6-8:00pm, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at the church.

A livestream of the service will be available at noefs.org/obituaries/raymond-ray-grice.

Ray was one of the four children born to Margaret Elizabeth and Leonard Nathaniel ‘Toby” Grice in 1935. After graduating, he enlisted in the Navy where he served for four years. In 1955, he married his wife Elinor Drane and moved to Kernersville where he began his career in the lumber and building industry with Weyerhaeuser, then with New Home Building Supply in Greensboro. They had their three children: Elizabeth, Chip, and Jo.

When the kids were young, they started coming to Davis, NC, taking Aimie Willis and later, Carlie Willis’ ferry to “The Banks.” They eventually bought a home in Davis, where the entire family spent many, many weekends and summers every year. Ray would commute back and forth from Kernersville every weekend, all summer, while Elinor and the kids got to stay in Davis. Eventually, as their children graduated from high school, they all moved to Davis and when Ray retired in 1994, they moved full-time.

Ray and Elinor both had tremendous love for their community, making many life-long friends which felt like family. After Ray had been retired for two years, he finished all of his “to-do” projects and felt the pull to return to work and began working with Safrits Building Supply, Beaufort, in 1996.

Ray had a love for the building supply industry and the many people he met and worked with his entire career. In 2022, his wife Elinor passed away. He officially retired for his second time from Saftrits in August, 2024 at the age of 88.

Ray had a love for waterfowl, hunting, and collecting decoys. He was an avid surf fisherman which he passed his love of all these to his family. He enjoyed golfing and water skiing, watching and attending NASCAR races (he was even honored to be the honorary flag starter at the Darlington Raceway. He appreciated hard work and good work ethic and was known to lend a hand to help a friend(s) any way he could. Ray had many roles and wore many hats but none compared to that of “Daddy and Papa.” His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will forever hold the lessons he taught them and the memories they made together in their hearts.

We are so eternally grateful for his special caregivers who made it possible for him to stay at his home, Olivia Sparks, Shelly Guthrie, Felicia Morris, Dawn Milford and Monica Small. Also special thanks to Carteret Co. Hospice.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Elinor. His parents, Margaret Elizabeth and Leonard “Toby” Nathaniel, his mother and father-in-law William and Dorothy Drane, his sister Carolyn Howie, his brother Rufus Grice; He is survived by his children: Elizabeth Rose (William) of Straits, NC, son “Chip” Grice (Nancy) of Davis, NC, daughter Jo Grice, of Beaufort NC; four grandchildren: Amanda Craig (Scott), of Baltimore, MD, Mollie Nelson (Matt), of Davis, NC, Drew Grice of Greenville, SC, Tyler Grice (Kari) of Hampton, VA; four great grandchildren: Macon, Martin, and Mattie Nelson; Hutson Grice; brother Frank (Becky) Grice of Virginia Beach, VA. Sister-in-Law Janet (Bill) Anderson of Arden, NC; Willena Kiser of Charlotte, NC; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.

While flowers are welcome, donations can be made to Core Sound Waterfowl Museum or the Carteret County Hospice House.

Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noefs.net

Arrangements by Noe Funeral Service, Inc. of Beaufort, NC.