Eugene Ray McNeely Jr.

1940 - 2022

Eugene Ray McNeely Jr.

September 10, 1940 - December 5, 2022

Eugene "Ray" McNeely Jr. entered heaven Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, surrounded by family, at Cabarrus County Hospice and Palliative Care in Kannapolis. He was 82 years old.

Born September 10, 1940, in Newton, to Catherine "Cattie" McNeely and Ray "Mac" McNeely Sr. Ray's life was shaped by his love for music, church and family. Cattie discovered Ray's talent for singing when her three children, Ray, Ann and Phyllis sang with Grace Reformed Church's choir in Newton. In high school, Ray joined the band and played the drums; he was influenced by Mr. Tyler who was known for being strict from his background as a member of the military band. Perhaps this cultivated Ray's reputation for perfection that led to his fervor for keeping sopranos, altos, and tenors in sync in future choirs he would conduct.

Ray followed Mr. Tyler's advice to pursue music, so he completed undergraduate and graduate programs focused on music education. These formative years prepared Ray to join Lenoir-Rhyne's faculty in 1966 as a professor of music and a conductor of the A Cappella Choir.

Ray was given the nickname "Mac," and he created a lively environment where choir members were known as his "children" regardless of their background. The numerous choirs throughout his tenure would travel abroad to sing in sacred venues such as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The love, laughter and stewardship shared in their celebrated European tours uniquely bonded Mac and his students where each blessed day was a day full of grace.

Ray's service extended to direct choirs at: First Presybyterian Church in Newton; Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Conover; Heidelberg United Church of Christ in Thomasville; First United Methodist Church in Hickory; and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wilmington. He would often add the gusto of brass and strings to enhance musical selections especially for Christmas Eve services. He aspired to intentionally create a profound, moving experience connecting God's word to human hearts through the harmonious production of notes.

"As bird's in the morning sing God's praise" is a line from Dad's favorite hymn that connects to fishing – his most cherished pastime. He taught his three children, Chris, Andrew and Anne how to fish with the understanding that the early bird catches the king mackerel. He was a devoted father who instilled his values by distributing chores involving chainsaws and leaf blowers, ringing piercing wake-up bells every Christmas morning, and teaching all of his children to become fishers of the sea. A captain of the ocean whether by boat, surf or pier, Dad experienced serenity with the rhythm of the tides, winds and storms on Topsail Island that provided comfort to his spirit. He regularly gathered family on Topsail for fishing trips, summer vacations and delicious meals always beginning with shrimp cocktail as a necessary hors d'uvre.

His lifelong devotion to church, family, and God, who promised, "But the greatest of these is love," despite any circumstance delivered him to heaven where he is living pain free, smiling upon us with his trademark blue eyes, and (most certainly) fishing and singing with other disciples by his side. Ray, Mac, and Dad – you will be forever missed, but we celebrate your eternal resting place in heaven… until we meet again.

A celebration in honor of Ray's life will include a receiving Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m., and a funeral Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at 2 p.m. A prelude will begin at 1:30 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne Choir Alumni are invited to sing for the funeral service. Rehearsal will start at 11 a.m., with a light lunch provided for singers. All services will occur at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Conover.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that donations are made in Ray's honor to Lenoir-Rhyne University's A Cappella Choir, Hickory, NC; The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City; Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (CCA NC) in Wilmington.

Condolences for his family and friends: Chris, Andrew and Anne; grandchildren, Madison, Lindsay and Austin McNeely; sisters, Ann Almond and Phyllis Brown; parents, Catherine and Ray McNeely Sr. (deceased); Lisa, Laura and Josh Caudle; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his beloved dog, Spirit.

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