Hamilton Ray Bumpus was born April 18, 1941 to RE 'Bud' and Vertna (Cosper) Bumpus, and passed from this life on April 23, 2025 at the age of 84.

Ray was raised on the family farm in the CeeVee community, one of a big, rambunctious crew of Bumpus siblings and cousins. He attended CeeVee school and graduated from Paducah High School in 1959. He spent his early years farming and punching cows, and he was one of the crew on the last Matador wagon with the Rock Island Cattle Company. He was a good hand with horses and a talented calf roper. He worked on most of the big outfits and many smaller ones in this part of the country.

On August 7, 1971 he married Janet Beck, and she was his devoted "Cupcake" until her passing in December of 2015. Ray and Jan raised their only son, Bob, making a million miles with his dad working cattle and hunting quail. Ray loved training bird dogs, and was an avid outdoorsman and hunter all his life, which later led to working for the state as an animal damage control specialist.

After his retirement, he devoted his time to cutting firewood, trapping hogs, hunting, aggravating "the Cup", dipping Skoal, and reading westerns. Ray had a way with dogs and kids, and when his four grandkids came along, he became "Gramps" and was always ready to babysit, teaching them about trapping hogs and whittling, telling wild stories and keeping them full of snacks and deer jerky. They were the joy of his life.

In his younger days, people described him as quiet and reserved, but in recent years he enjoyed visiting folks around Paducah and telling tales. He had a nickname for everyone and always had a pocket full of candy or jerky to share.

Ray's surviving family includes his son and daughter in law, Bob and Wendy Bumpus, grandson Radley and granddaughters Jessye, Steelye and Hayes.

He was preceded in death by his wife Janet Bumpus, his parents, and siblings June Penny, Richard Bumpus, Patsy Bumpus, and Faith Ann Hutchison.

The family will host a memorial service Sunday, May 4 at 2pm, immediately followed by visitation until 4pm, at Crossroads Cafe, on the square in Paducah.