Rev. John Ray (J.R.) Scarborough

Reverend John Ray (J.R.) Scarborough, 89 of Mount Gilead, NC died Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at Forest Oaks Nursing Facility in Albemarle, NC.  Funeral Services will be held 1pm Saturday, December 22, 2012 at Leah R. Levin Memorial Auditoriam, 102 S. School St., Mount Gilead, NC 27306. Reverend Michael Thomas, Eulogist, Interment with full Military Honors will follow in the Mount Zion AME Zion Church Cemetery in Mount Gilead, NC.  Public viewing will be held 11am to 7pm Friday, December 21, 2012 at Harris Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Mount Gilead, NC.

Rev. Scarborough was a son of the late Bracy and Fannie Little Scarborough.  He was born on July 17, 1923 in Richmond County, North Carolina.

He attended the public schools of Richmond County and was a 1976 graduate of Montgomery Technical Institute, Troy, NC and Hood Theological Seminary at Livingstone College, Salisbury, NC.  He was ordained in 1946 and retired from the West Central NC A.M.E. Zion Conference after 48 years of dedicated service.  He pastored for 48 years and at the following churches; Mt. Grove and Ingram Chapel, Ebenezer, Brown Hill, Pleasant Hill, Hood Chapel, Troy Chapel and Mt. Zion A.M.E. Zion Churches.

He was a World War II veteran and  a retiree of Alcoa Badin Works in Badin, NC; a member of the Masonic Lodge #196 of Mt. Gilead, NC.  He was a community, political and civic minded having served the NAACP, the Montgomery Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees,  The County Advisory Board, overseeing nursing and rest homes, and the Planning Board of Montgomery County.

He was married to Zelma Thomas for 67 years and they raised 5 children together and four grandchildren.  One daughter, Joanne Scarborough died in infancy and other children whom preceded him in death were, Harriet Scarborough, LTC Earldine Scarborough Cisco, Charlotte Green and 12 siblings.

Those left to cherish and to honor his memory are his devoted wife of 67 years, Mrs. Zelma Thomas Scarborough of the home; sons; Bobby Ray Scarborough (Elsie) of Suffolk, VA and Johnny Scarborough (Varena) of Albemarle, NC and one daughter, Geraldine Scarborough Adkins (Charles) of Charles City, Va; adopted daughter, Dorothy Cross; son-in-law, Richard Cisco of Augusta, GA; brothers, Grady Scarboro and Bracy J. Scarborough (Eddie Mae), all of Mt. Gilead, NC; special grandchildren he raised, Marquez Scarborough, LeWayne Scarborough (Yolanda), Deltric Ransome (Daniel) and Gregory Quick (Ashley), 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.