Rev. Bobby Ray Christmas, 80, of Tifton passed away Monday, March 9, 2020, at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2020, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Bill Joris officiating. Rev. Christmas will be laid to rest at Sumner Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday, March 13, 2020, at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals from 12:30 p.m. until the hour of the service.
Matthew Christmas, Gary Christmas Jr., Danny Wilkinson Jr., Joshua Roberts, Jesse Christmas and Jeremy Wilkinson will serve as pallbearers.
Born February 22, 1940 in Worth County, Rev. Christmas was the son of the late Lee Smith Christmas and Alma May Thompson Christmas. He was also preceded in death by five brothers and seven sisters. He received his Doctorate of Theology and, before retiring, he was the pastor for several churches in Florida and was currently serving as interim pastor of Eldorado Baptist Church in Eldorado.
Rev. Christmas is survived by his wife, Nina Mae Blalock Christmas of Tifton; two sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth R. and Leah Christmas of Crestview, Florida and Gary A. and Cheryl Christmas of St. Mary’s; two daughters and sons-in-law, Angela and Duffy Bishoff of Tifton and Patricia A. and William Mudd of Cadiz, Kentucky; 28 grandchildren plus spouses; and 27 great-grandchildren.