Mr. Ray Scates of Bruceton, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, September 27, 2024, at the age of 87.

Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 2:00 P.M. in the Chapel of Chase Funeral Home with Bro. James Keen officiating. Interment will follow in New Prospect Cemetery in Hollow Rock.

In Lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to: Huntingdon Missionary Baptist Church, Huntingdon, TN, or Place of Hope, 105 N. James Campbell BVLD. Columbia, TN 38401

The family will receive friends in the Cherrywood Room of Chase Funeral Home on Saturday, September 28, from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. and on Sunday from 10:00 A.M. until time of service.

Pallbearers who will serve are Austin Starr, Connor Hollingsworth, Malik Mathes, Jonathan Devault, Stanley Scates, and Micheal Wadley.

Mr. Scates was born on October 21, 1936, in Wildersville, Tennessee, to the late Ernest Ray and Lila Halbrook Scates. After graduating from Huntingdon High School, he married his best friend and high school sweetheart Betty Jane Smith on November 25th, 1955. He was honorably discharged from the United States Navy in 1962 after serving eight years in the Naval Reserve.

He was a member of Huntingdon Missionary Baptist Church where he was active in helping in many ways. He retired from Publix Shirt Factory where he worked for over 44 years as a sewing machine mechanic, and later head mechanic. He was also co-owner of Scates Grocery and Market in Hollow Rock. He, along with his dad and brothers, built the store and later sold it in 1975. After retiring from Publix in 2000, he started a stump grinding business. For the next 23 years, he ground stumps for many people in the surrounding counties and made many friends.

Ray loved God, his many friends at HMBC and his family. He was a devoted husband, dad, grandaddy, great-granddaddy, and even a great-great granddaddy.

Ray is survived by his wife of 68 years, Betty Jane Smith Scates, one daughter, Debbie Devault, and one son, Mike Scates (Lori). He also leaves three grandchildren, Melissa Cox, Monica Hollingsworth, Jonathan Devault (Kristin), six great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn Starr (Austin), Kristen Cox, Kylie Hollingsworth, Connor Hollingsworth, Kasper Malchow, and Kaylee Devault, three great-great grandchildren, Riley and William Starr and Baylor Mathes.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Carl Scates and Paul Scates, and a grandson, William Devault.