Johnny Ray Gulley

A service celebrating the life of Johnny Gulley will be held at 11am on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at Union Grove Baptist Church in Bluff City, Arkansas with interment following at Union Grove Cemetery. Rev. Larry Hines the pastor will officiate. The humble man known as Johnny Ray Gulley surrendered his soul to Christ on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, at Ouachita County Medical Center in Camden, Arkansas. He was born in Bluff City, Arkansas to the union of Collen and Pearlie Mae Gill Gulley on Monday, August 6, 1951. Johnny Ray gave his life to Christ at a young age and joined Union Grove Baptist Church. Nurtured in a Christian home he learned the importance of working hard, helping others, enjoying life and most importantly, putting God and family first. Those early lessons would fortify the essence of his life here on earth. He served his church as a Sunday school teacher and taught in vacation bible school. The youth loved Johnny Ray and his class was always full. He was a 1969 graduate of McRae High School in Prescott, Arkansas. He married Jerline and their marriage was blessed with three beautiful little girls who were the apple of his eye. He worked as a logger for several years and made many sacrifices to provide the best for his family. He was a one of the coolest, outgoing, tenacious, patient, straight forward and down to earth men that lived. Though often outspoken, Johnny Ray “meant what he said and said what he meant”. There was never a dull moment when he was around and he never met a stranger. Johnny Ray was a friendly person who would spend countless hours visiting and checking on the elderly. His passing leaves a great void in the lives of those who knew and loved him. Johnny Ray was preceded in death by his father, Collen Gulley (2006), his mother Pearlie Mae Gulley (1999) and an infant son, Johnny Junior Gulley (1985). He leaves his daughters, Lashauna (Shawn) Williams of Camden, AR, Jolanda (Daryl) Strickland of Camden, AR, and Lawanda Murray of Camden, AR; a son he loved and cherished as his own, Sylvester Holliman of Milwaukee, WI; the mother of his children, Jerline Gulley of Chidester, AR; eleven grandchildren; one sister, Carolyn A. (George) Smith of Prescott, AR; brothers, Cullen Ray (Jearlin) Gulley, Sr., of Chidester, AR, Frankie (Evelyn) Gulley of Chidester, AR and Willis (Emma) Gulley of Rockford, IL; aunts, Ida Bell Holliman of Camden, AR, Rebecca Howard of Cleveland, OH, Lois Mae Abner of Saginaw, MI, Gertrude Johnson of Saginaw, MI and Trudell Mixon of San Francisco, CA. He also leaves several nieces, nephews and cousins.