Clarence "Ray" Thorne passed away on Friday, July 31, 2015, at the age of 88.

Mr. Thorne was born on May 23, 1927, the only child of Clarence Roosevelt Thorne and Florence Dunn Thorne. Born and raised in Rocky Mount, North Carolina,

Mr. Thorne graduated from Rocky Mount High School in 1945. He served in the Navy and was a World War II veteran. Mr. Thorne graduated from North Carolina State University in 1954, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He married Frances Currie Graham on September 10, 1955. Mr. Thorne was Vice President of Engineering at Fasco Industries for 39 years. He was a lifetime member of Hay Street United Methodist church, the Fellowship Sunday school class, United Methodist Men, and the Saturday morning Men's Prayer Breakfast group.

He will be forever remembered for his dry sense of humor, his patience, and his love of Wolfpack athletics. Along with his loving, devoted wife, Frances, Mr. Thorne is survived by two sons, Clarence Ray Thorne II and wife, Shari, of Southern Pines; Gary Lee Thorne and wife, Diane, of Fayetteville; his daughter, Paige Thorne Walker and husband, Richard, of Fayetteville, and seven grandchildren.

The family will receive friends on Monday, August 3, 2015, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at JerniganWarren Funeral Home. Services will be held at 2:30 Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at Hay Street United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, with the Reverend Dr. Carl Frazier officiating. Interment will be at Lafayette Memorial Park on Ramsey Street, directly following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Hay Street United Methodist Church Building Fund, the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, or a charity of your choice.