Ray Bardill

Dr. Donald Ray Bardill was born in Lancing, Tennessee, on November 4, 1934, and spent his childhood in Wartburg, Tennessee, where he was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. It was there that he married the love of his life, Joyce Garrett, in 1956. He was the only child of Martin and Vema Bardill. Ray passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on November 23, 2025.

Ray dedicated his life to serving others and helping them find a courageous and truth-filled path through life. He attended the University of Tennessee, earning his B.A. in Psychology and his Master of Social Work, before receiving his Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from Smith College in 1967. He served in the United States Army for 20 years, retiring in 1978 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after serving as Chief of Staff of Social Work at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During his service, Ray was awarded the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit, one of the nation’s most prestigious military decorations.

While in Washington, D.C., Ray taught as a part-time professor at The Catholic University Graduate School of Social Work and served as a periodic lecturer at the Smith College School of Social Work. He then joined Florida State University, where he served for 24 years as a professor and as Dean of the School of Social Work. After retiring in 1993, he held two terms as an honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Utah. He also dedicated many years to private practice, helping individuals and couples through marriage and family therapy.

Ray served as National President of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy in 1991 and chaired the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. He was a two-term member of the Florida State Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. In 1994, he was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Child and Family Welfare by the Speaker of the House. He authored or co-authored three professional books, 35 professional journal articles, and six educational videos, and he conducted 129 professional workshops across the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe. His distinguished career earned him numerous awards, including being named a Tennessee Colonel by two Tennessee governors and National Consultant Emeritus by the U.S. Air Force, Office of the Surgeon General.

Ray was a devoted member of Epiphany Lutheran Church, LCMS, in Tallahassee, where he served on the Board of Elders, taught the adult Sunday school class, advised new pastors, and offered steady, Christlike leadership during times of transition. His faith was central to his life, and he often quoted his favorite verse, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Ray is survived by his wife of 69 years, Joyce Garrett Bardill; two daughters, Amy Jean Meyer and Amanda Jane Spence; son-in-law, Mark Spence; and five grandchildren: Sara Jane Spence Bailey, Anna Bardill Spence, Madeleine Joyce Meyer, Christian Taylor Spence, and Samuel Carl Bardill Meyer. He joins his son, Christian Garrett Bardill (d. 1960), and his son-in-law, Larry Meyer (d. 2022), in Heaven. He will be deeply missed, but his family takes comfort in knowing he is now enjoying eternal life with Jesus and that they will one day be reunited.

The family will receive friends Saturday, November 29, 2025 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wartburg from 2:00-3:00 p.m. with the funeral to follow at 3:00 p.m. with Pastor David Graves officiating.  Interment will follow in the Wartburg City Cemetery in Wartburg with Military Honors, American Legion Post #149. 

Schubert Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Dr. Donald Ray Bardill.