Ray Thomas Mims

PERRY, GA-

Ray Thomas Mims, 79, passed away Wednesday, May 10, 2017, surrounded by his loving family. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 12, 2017, from 5:0 until 7:00 p.m. at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Perry. A Private Burial will be held in Woodlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions be made to Perry Middle School Athletic Program, 495 North Perry Parkway, Perry, GA 31069 or First Baptist Church of Perry Bereavement Ministry, 1105 Main Street, Perry, GA 31069.

Ray was born in Augusta, Georgia, on March 13, 1938, to the late James Clifton Mims and the late Alma Sammons Mims. He grew up in Augusta and graduated from Richmond Academy in 1956. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Georgia Southern College, formerly Georgia Teacher’s College, in Statesboro. He was there on a baseball scholarship where he excelled as a left-handed pitcher and still holds the record for most strikeouts in a game with 19. This earned him the honor of induction into the Georgia Southern Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. While in school he met the love of his life, Margilu Watts Mims of Perry. Upon graduation, they moved to Perry where they settled, raised their family, and lived for the past 59 years. Ray earned a Master’s Degree in Education and a Specialist’s Degree in Education Administration from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. Coach Mims started his career in education teaching in Cochran then at Perry High School before spending the bulk of his teaching and coaching career at Perry Junior High School where he was Athletic Director, and Head Coach of the 8th grade football team, girls’ basketball teams, and the track and field teams. He retired from Houston County Board of Education after 30 years of service. With lots more free time, Ray turned to cartooning that allowed his creativity to shine. He had several of his cartoons printed in various national publications including The Saturday Evening Post, Barron’s, and Mature Living, among others. Ray was a faithful member of First Baptist Church of Perry for many years, where he served as an usher, was on several committees, and was a member of the Dot Hardy Sunday School Class. He also served on the Houston County Library Board for a number of years. Ray was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Harold Mims.

Left to cherish the memories of Ray are his loving and devoted wife of 59 years, Margilu Watts Mims of Perry; his son, Ray Mims, Jr. (Andrew) of Alexandria, Virginia; his daughter, Robin Porter (David) of San Marcos, California; and one grandson, John Wilson, of Atlanta.

Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.

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