1933
Harvey
2023
Harvey “Ray” Bills
May 22, 1933 — June 10, 2023
Harvey “Ray” Bills
May 22, 1933- June 10, 2023
Harvey Ray Bills passed away at home on June 10, 2023. He was born to Elton Ezra Bills and Isabelle Butterfield Bills in Herriman, Utah on May 22, 1933.
Growing up in a large family of 10 children was a lot of work. Ray spent his time helping with the farm and summers on Mount Timpanogos tending sheep. After graduating from Jordan High School, he joined the Air Force. He loved working on the planes as a mechanic at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He married Carol Mae Davies on June 29, 1953. They had four children and later divorced. He married Oma Kay Hickman who passed away August 18, 1978. After Kay’s passing, he married Elsie “Joan” Christensen Timothy in Mazatlan, Mexico on February 16, 1981. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Jordan River Temple. Joan passed away on May 8, 2008.
After four years of service in the air force Ray moved back home to Utah and went to work at Kennecott as a brakeman and later as an engineer on the trains. That is where he lost most of his hearing. He loved telling the stories of when he would heat up his lunches sitting them on the engines. He retired from Kennecott and started a porcelain business called JoRay Creations. In their shop they taught how to make porcelain dolls and porcelain figurines. He went to many Relief Society activity nights teaching people to clean statues of Jesus and then he would fire them in his kilns.
Ray spent many years helping boys in the scouting program learn the ins and outs of becoming a scout. Ray and Joan traveled all over the world. They especially loved to go in the RV and as Ray would say he had traveled to every state in the U.S. He spent a lot of time building and enjoying a vacation home at Bear Lake. Ray never really retired. He was always working on some project in his shop. He had a talent for fixing and dreaming up things to make life easier and better. He always said “work smarter, not harder.” Ray always had the most beautiful vegetable garden and prided himself on having the first ripe tomato in the neighborhood, surrounded by his indestructible tomato cages made from rebar and using walls of water. Ray was always willing to help anyone and was loved by all. He will be deeply missed.
Ray is preceded in death by his wives Carol, Kay, and Joan, his parents, brothers Thomas, Lionel, Brent, and Byron, sisters Alta and Verlaine, daughters, Susan Bills and Shelly Tripp, stepsons Guy and Craig Timothy, and granddaughters Cassandra Lee Trenery and Ginni Franco.
Ray is survived by his brothers Earl and Dennis, sister Beth Richter, daughter Charlene (Scott) Gapinski, son Terry (Cindy) Bills, stepdaughters Terry (Marvin) Sorensen, Karen Timothy, Janet Timothy, and Jodi (Mark) Hansen, and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Please join us in celebrating his life at a Funeral Service on Wednesday June 21, 2023 at Redwood Memorial Mortuary, 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah.
Interment to follow at Redwood Memorial Cemetery.Service Information
Funeral Service
June 21, 2023 at 02:00 PM
Memorial Redwood Chapel
May 22, 1933- June 10, 2023
Harvey Ray Bills passed away at home on June 10, 2023. He was born to Elton Ezra Bills and Isabelle Butterfield Bills in Herriman, Utah on May 22, 1933.
Growing up in a large family of 10 children was a lot of work. Ray spent his time helping with the farm and summers on Mount Timpanogos tending sheep. After graduating from Jordan High School, he joined the Air Force. He loved working on the planes as a mechanic at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He married Carol Mae Davies on June 29, 1953. They had four children and later divorced. He married Oma Kay Hickman who passed away August 18, 1978. After Kay’s passing, he married Elsie “Joan” Christensen Timothy in Mazatlan, Mexico on February 16, 1981. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Jordan River Temple. Joan passed away on May 8, 2008.
After four years of service in the air force Ray moved back home to Utah and went to work at Kennecott as a brakeman and later as an engineer on the trains. That is where he lost most of his hearing. He loved telling the stories of when he would heat up his lunches sitting them on the engines. He retired from Kennecott and started a porcelain business called JoRay Creations. In their shop they taught how to make porcelain dolls and porcelain figurines. He went to many Relief Society activity nights teaching people to clean statues of Jesus and then he would fire them in his kilns.
Ray spent many years helping boys in the scouting program learn the ins and outs of becoming a scout. Ray and Joan traveled all over the world. They especially loved to go in the RV and as Ray would say he had traveled to every state in the U.S. He spent a lot of time building and enjoying a vacation home at Bear Lake. Ray never really retired. He was always working on some project in his shop. He had a talent for fixing and dreaming up things to make life easier and better. He always said “work smarter, not harder.” Ray always had the most beautiful vegetable garden and prided himself on having the first ripe tomato in the neighborhood, surrounded by his indestructible tomato cages made from rebar and using walls of water. Ray was always willing to help anyone and was loved by all. He will be deeply missed.
Ray is preceded in death by his wives Carol, Kay, and Joan, his parents, brothers Thomas, Lionel, Brent, and Byron, sisters Alta and Verlaine, daughters, Susan Bills and Shelly Tripp, stepsons Guy and Craig Timothy, and granddaughters Cassandra Lee Trenery and Ginni Franco.
Ray is survived by his brothers Earl and Dennis, sister Beth Richter, daughter Charlene (Scott) Gapinski, son Terry (Cindy) Bills, stepdaughters Terry (Marvin) Sorensen, Karen Timothy, Janet Timothy, and Jodi (Mark) Hansen, and many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Please join us in celebrating his life at a Funeral Service on Wednesday June 21, 2023 at Redwood Memorial Mortuary, 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah.
Interment to follow at Redwood Memorial Cemetery.Service Information
Funeral Service
June 21, 2023 at 02:00 PM
Memorial Redwood Chapel
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Harvey “Ray” Bills, please visit our flower store.
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