We mourn the loss of Jones Ray Brockman, 89, of Mahomet, who passed away Monday (Nov. 23, 2020) at Clark-Lindsey, Meadowbrook, Urbana.
Ray was born in 1931 to Armon and Octa Brockman. He grew up on a small family farm in the red dirt hills of western Tennessee, where he learned to hunt, fish, plow, butcher a hog, milk cows, pick cotton and fix just about anything alongside his father, mother and three older brothers.
Ray was athletic and had a ready smile. He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Mary Sue Hale, in 1949, a couple of weeks before their high-school graduation. They moved into a log house on his parents' farm while Ray looked for a job. Ray's father-in-law, a railroader, told them about a job with the IC Railroad in Rantoul. Ray landed the job and worked for the ICRR and AMTRAK for more than 40 years.
All four of their children grew up in Rantoul. Ray was an involved parent, attending children's school and church activities, playing basketball and badminton with them, camping and playing competitive games of Monopoly that could rage for hours.
Ray enjoyed bowling, dancing, x-country skiing, hunting, fishing and gardening. They had a big garden in Mahomet and shared vegetables with neighbors for many years.
Ray taught the grandchildren the facts of life:
*how to drive — the lawn tractor around the several acres of their property and the red Ranger pickup on back country roads.
*how to cook — slow-roasting pork shoulder with hickory chips on the trusty Weber grill.
*how to hunt — slow, easy, careful using the 22 rifle he bought from his older brother when Ray was 14 years old.
*how to fish — where to find the big ones!
Ray had many accomplishments. He was a devoted husband through thick and thin, a home-improvement GURU and a master gardener. He was a wonderful and insightful father.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 71 years, Sue; children, Terrye Bullers (Bill), Carol Brockman (Pat), Mike Brockman (Wendy) and Kevin Brockman (Stephanie); nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and their families scattered across the nation, as well as extended family and friends.
Interment was held at Shiloh Cemetery, Mahomet.
Champaign News Gazette
Ray was born in 1931 to Armon and Octa Brockman. He grew up on a small family farm in the red dirt hills of western Tennessee, where he learned to hunt, fish, plow, butcher a hog, milk cows, pick cotton and fix just about anything alongside his father, mother and three older brothers.
Ray was athletic and had a ready smile. He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Mary Sue Hale, in 1949, a couple of weeks before their high-school graduation. They moved into a log house on his parents' farm while Ray looked for a job. Ray's father-in-law, a railroader, told them about a job with the IC Railroad in Rantoul. Ray landed the job and worked for the ICRR and AMTRAK for more than 40 years.
All four of their children grew up in Rantoul. Ray was an involved parent, attending children's school and church activities, playing basketball and badminton with them, camping and playing competitive games of Monopoly that could rage for hours.
Ray enjoyed bowling, dancing, x-country skiing, hunting, fishing and gardening. They had a big garden in Mahomet and shared vegetables with neighbors for many years.
Ray taught the grandchildren the facts of life:
*how to drive — the lawn tractor around the several acres of their property and the red Ranger pickup on back country roads.
*how to cook — slow-roasting pork shoulder with hickory chips on the trusty Weber grill.
*how to hunt — slow, easy, careful using the 22 rifle he bought from his older brother when Ray was 14 years old.
*how to fish — where to find the big ones!
Ray had many accomplishments. He was a devoted husband through thick and thin, a home-improvement GURU and a master gardener. He was a wonderful and insightful father.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 71 years, Sue; children, Terrye Bullers (Bill), Carol Brockman (Pat), Mike Brockman (Wendy) and Kevin Brockman (Stephanie); nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and their families scattered across the nation, as well as extended family and friends.
Interment was held at Shiloh Cemetery, Mahomet.
Champaign News Gazette
We mourn the loss of Jones Ray Brockman, 89, of Mahomet, who passed away Monday (Nov. 23, 2020) at Clark-Lindsey, Meadowbrook, Urbana.
Ray was born in 1931 to Armon and Octa Brockman. He grew up on a small family farm in the red dirt hills of western Tennessee, where he learned to hunt, fish, plow, butcher a hog, milk cows, pick cotton and fix just about anything alongside his father, mother and three older brothers.
Ray was athletic and had a ready smile. He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Mary Sue Hale, in 1949, a couple of weeks before their high-school graduation. They moved into a log house on his parents' farm while Ray looked for a job. Ray's father-in-law, a railroader, told them about a job with the IC Railroad in Rantoul. Ray landed the job and worked for the ICRR and AMTRAK for more than 40 years.
All four of their children grew up in Rantoul. Ray was an involved parent, attending children's school and church activities, playing basketball and badminton with them, camping and playing competitive games of Monopoly that could rage for hours.
Ray enjoyed bowling, dancing, x-country skiing, hunting, fishing and gardening. They had a big garden in Mahomet and shared vegetables with neighbors for many years.
Ray taught the grandchildren the facts of life:
*how to drive — the lawn tractor around the several acres of their property and the red Ranger pickup on back country roads.
*how to cook — slow-roasting pork shoulder with hickory chips on the trusty Weber grill.
*how to hunt — slow, easy, careful using the 22 rifle he bought from his older brother when Ray was 14 years old.
*how to fish — where to find the big ones!
Ray had many accomplishments. He was a devoted husband through thick and thin, a home-improvement GURU and a master gardener. He was a wonderful and insightful father.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 71 years, Sue; children, Terrye Bullers (Bill), Carol Brockman (Pat), Mike Brockman (Wendy) and Kevin Brockman (Stephanie); nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and their families scattered across the nation, as well as extended family and friends.
Interment was held at Shiloh Cemetery, Mahomet.
Champaign News Gazette
Ray was born in 1931 to Armon and Octa Brockman. He grew up on a small family farm in the red dirt hills of western Tennessee, where he learned to hunt, fish, plow, butcher a hog, milk cows, pick cotton and fix just about anything alongside his father, mother and three older brothers.
Ray was athletic and had a ready smile. He eloped with his high school sweetheart, Mary Sue Hale, in 1949, a couple of weeks before their high-school graduation. They moved into a log house on his parents' farm while Ray looked for a job. Ray's father-in-law, a railroader, told them about a job with the IC Railroad in Rantoul. Ray landed the job and worked for the ICRR and AMTRAK for more than 40 years.
All four of their children grew up in Rantoul. Ray was an involved parent, attending children's school and church activities, playing basketball and badminton with them, camping and playing competitive games of Monopoly that could rage for hours.
Ray enjoyed bowling, dancing, x-country skiing, hunting, fishing and gardening. They had a big garden in Mahomet and shared vegetables with neighbors for many years.
Ray taught the grandchildren the facts of life:
*how to drive — the lawn tractor around the several acres of their property and the red Ranger pickup on back country roads.
*how to cook — slow-roasting pork shoulder with hickory chips on the trusty Weber grill.
*how to hunt — slow, easy, careful using the 22 rifle he bought from his older brother when Ray was 14 years old.
*how to fish — where to find the big ones!
Ray had many accomplishments. He was a devoted husband through thick and thin, a home-improvement GURU and a master gardener. He was a wonderful and insightful father.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 71 years, Sue; children, Terrye Bullers (Bill), Carol Brockman (Pat), Mike Brockman (Wendy) and Kevin Brockman (Stephanie); nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and their families scattered across the nation, as well as extended family and friends.
Interment was held at Shiloh Cemetery, Mahomet.
Champaign News Gazette
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