Ray Curlee, Sr

RAY  THOMAS  CURLEE,  SR.,  76 Ray Thomas Curlee, Sr. of Lake Wales went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, November 24, 2016 at his residence. He was surrounded by his loving family. He fought a long hard battle with cancer. Ray was born April 26, 1940 in Vernon, FL to John Chester Curlee and Nellie Marie Jones Curlee. Ray was a Vietnam veteran, who served his country in the U.S. Army. He came to Waverly in 1969 from Vernon and retired from the U.S. Post Office in Lake Wales in 2002. Ray was a member of the First Baptist Church in Waverly, the American Legion, V.F.W., D.A.V., 793 rd Military Police Battalion Association and lifetime member of the Military Order of Purple Heart Association. Ray was preceded in death by his father, Chester; mother, Nellie; four brothers and two sisters. Survivors include his loving wife of 46 years, Judy Curlee; four sons, Arthur John Curlee Kolb of Bayreuth, Germany, Ray Thomas Curlee, Jr. and fiancé Heather of Winter Haven, Richard Emory Connell and wife Barbara of Columbia, SC and Anthony Wayne Connell of Mulberry; several grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; step-brother, Charles Wilkins of Lakeland; two sisters-in-law; and many loving nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 29, 2016 and the funeral service will be held 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at the Marion Nelson Funeral Home in Lake Wales with Rev. David Durham and Pastor Duane Hunt officiating. Interment will follow at the Lake Wales Cemetery. Donations may be sent to the First Baptist Church of Waverly, Building Fund, P.O. Box 296, Waverly, FL 33877, Center Point Church, 133 Rudy Lake Drive, Winter Haven, FL 33884 or Cornerstone Hospice, 2590 Havendale Blvd., Winter Haven, FL 33880.