James Ray Jarrell

March 1, 1936 - January 21, 2021

James Ray Jarrell, 84, of Salisbury, went home to be with the Lord Thursday, January 21, 2021. Born March 1, 1936 in Rowan County, he was the son of the late Archibald Leroy “A.L.” Jarrell and Ora Mae Leach Jarrell. He was a 1954 graduate of Boyden High School and attended NC State University. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in Korea in the Signal Corps. He was co-owner and operator of A.L .Jarrell and Sons Construction. He was a longtime member of the Salisbury Jaycees and loved Legion Baseball and the Catawba Chiefs Club. An active member of First Baptist Church of Salisbury, he served as an Adult Sunday School teacher and on the Kitchen Committee. He had served as a Fourth Grade Sunday School teacher, and as a Deacon at Stallings Memorial for many years. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a son, James Ray Jarrell, II in 2014. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Nancy Gray White Jarrell; children, Judy Jarrell Turbeville (Chuck) of Florence, SC, Karen Jarrell Waters (Jeff) of Mt. Pleasant, NC, Jane Jarrell Hunsucker (Britt) of Salisbury and Jonathan Earl Jarrell (Lauren) of Atlanta, GA.; grandchildren, Heather Reynolds (Frank) of Florence, SC, Megan Burrow (Christopher) of Acworth, GA, James Ray Jarrell III (Christina) of Faith, Allison Waters of Salisbury, Nicholas Hunsucker of Salisbury, Reagan Waters of Mt. Pleasant, NC, Lizzie Jarrell of Atlanta, GA and Henry Jarrell of Atlanta, GA; and eight great-grandchildren. Service: A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 25, 2021 at First Baptist Church with Rev. Darren Lambert, Rev. Kenneth Lance and Rev. Jon DeBell officiating. Entombment will follow in the Rowan Memorial Park Mausoleum. The family will speak with friends following the Mausoleum service. Memorials: Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 223 N. Fulton Street, Salisbury, NC 28144 or the Jarrell Family Scholarship Fund, Catawba College, Office of Development, 2300 West Innes Street, Salisbury, NC 28144. Summersett Funeral Home is serving the Jarrell family. Online condolences may be made at www.summersettfuneral.com.