SgtMaj Wilbur "Butch" Ray Gay, Jr. Retd.

North Augusta, SC – Visitation for Sergeant Major Wilbur Ray “Butch” Gay, Jr. (retired), 82, who entered into rest January 17, 2025, will be held at the funeral home Friday evening from 5 until 7. Butch was the beloved husband of Mary Thompson Gay, who he considered to be the love of his life. He was the son of the late Wilbur Ray Gay, Sr. and Elizabeth Strickland Gay of North Augusta, SC. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Cecil D. Mears, J. Thomas Gay (Shirley) and Joseph C. Gay all of Jacksonville, FL. Survivors include his daughter, Angela A. Chagaris of Davidson, NC; son, Bill and wife Randi of Greenville, SC; son, Robert W. Bazemore, Jr. and wife Amy of Frederick, VA; granddaughters, Catherine Chagaris, Nicole Chagaris, Audrey Gay, Lily Gay and Emma Bazemore; grandson, Andrew Gay. Additional survivors include a brother-in-law, Robert O. Thompson, Jr. (Norma) of The Villages, FL and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends. The family would like to thank Don Hamrick, Billy Simmons, Ralph Craven, James Perkins and Tommy Williams for having a major influence and impact on Butch’s life. Born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in Jacksonville, Florida until the age of nine and resided and made his home in North Augusta, SC since 1952. Butch was a graduate of North Augusta High School and received an associate’s degree from Augusta Technical College in Augusta, GA. He retired from E.I. DuPont and Savannah River Nuclear Site after 43 ½ years of service starting as a young nineteen-year-old, working in the lab and then as an employee counselor until 2005. Mr. Gay was a decorated Vietnam Veteran with the 319th Transportation Company “Troxler’s Truckers” Reservists, serving in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. He obtained the rank of Sergeant Major, received the Bronze Star Medal and numerous other medals and retired from the Army Reserves with 32 years of service. Butch loved his family more than anything and considered them his greatest achievement. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved hunting, boating, fishing and a cold Budweiser as well as country music, traveling, NASCAR and Clemson Tigers. Butch loved nothing better than sitting on his deck, which he called his office, at Clarks Hill, drinking a Budweiser and watching the world go by. He was a longtime member of 81st Wildcat Association, American Legion Post #63, Elks Lodge #205, NRA and the CSRA Shag Club. Memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org or a charity of one’s choice.

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SgtMaj Wilbur "Butch" Ray Gay, Jr. Retd.

March 4, 1942 - January 17, 2025