Harold Ray Whitaker

Harold Ray Whitaker, age 63, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 15. Everyone who knew Harold Ray would tell you that he was a loyal friend, a prolific story-teller and, most importantly, he loved his family. Harold Ray’s first love, however, was farming, which he started as a full-time occupation right out of high school and was the only thing that he ever did in order to make a living, raising many different types of crops and livestock over the years. He was one of the last farmers in Rockcastle County to stop raising tobacco which was a family tradition for generations and was something that he enjoyed doing greatly because there was always a lot of time spent with family working in the fields and barns. When it became necessary to transition from tobacco, he became one of the handful of farmers in the county to switch to production of corn and soybeans. If you have ever gotten stuck behind a red combine driving around Rockcastle County there is a good chance it was Harold Ray in the cab. And no matter how much work there was to be done there was always time to stop and get an ice cream cone. 

When he wasn’t working, Harold Ray greatly enjoyed travelling. Whether it was a quick day-trip up to Indiana to purchase a piece of farm equipment, a weekend visit to Lake Erie to fish for Walleye or a full-on family vacation to the Grand Canyon he always loved seeing the United States. He especially loved travelling to see the mountains and made many trips out west with his family over the years. Harold Ray also loved the great outdoors including hunting and fishing. In 2014, he was lucky enough to be able to harvest an elk in eastern Kentucky which was a lifelong dream of his and resulted in an epic story that you really should hear sometime.

Harold Ray was also fond of bestowing nicknames on many people so if there was one he had for someone in the family it will be listed below. 

Harold Ray is survived by his 3 loving children and their spouses: Matthew “Matthewticus” and Hillary “HP” Whitaker, Emily “Ree” and Charles “Chuckie C” Bullock and Benjamin “Benjit” and Starla “Tom” Whitaker. Harold Ray also had nine grandchildren whom he loved more than anything. They include Jackson “Jackun Redman” and Madelyn “Maddie takers” Whitaker, Sophie “Ree”, Hadley “Howdly Doodly”, Barrett “Big Boy”, Cameron "Cameroon", Caleb "Tub Tub", Chloe "Clovis" Bullock, and Beatrice “Big Britches” Whitaker. He is also survived by his parents Billy and Betty Ann Whitaker, a loving sister Melissa Bradley and her husband Troy, a very special uncle Darrell Wayne Whitaker and his wife Helen, a very special cousin and life-long friend Donnie Hayes, a good ol farming buddy Jeffery “Urkel” Albright, as well as several nieces and nephews and a host of extended family and dear friends. 

Harold Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Sandy, who was his constant loving companion and fellow farmhand for 38 years. 

Visitation will be held Thursday June, 18th from 6-9 at Marvin E. Owens Home for Funerals with the Funeral service on Friday June,19 at 11 am. Burial will take place at Skaggs Creek Baptist Church cemetery following the services. Pallbearers are Jeffery Albright, Troy Bradley, Jarrett Carpenter, Donnie Hayes, John “Deere” Lawson and Warren Whitaker,  

Everyone who knew Harold Ray Whitaker is going to miss him dearly. He was a very special person whom you could not help but to love, even if he was yelling at you while working cows.