James Ray Spangler passed away peacefully after a brief illness in Tampa Florida on May 4, 2023, one week shy of his 93rd birthday.
James was preceded in death by his parents Marion and Ida Spangler, as well as his siblings Monette Carroll, Earl Spangler, Glen Spangler, Pauline Clifton, and Ruby Jaynes. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Loraine (Smith) Spangler, and his children Cindy Spangler (fiancé Marc Harris) of Dayton, Ohio; Col. James Spangler (wife Mona) of Palm Harbor, Florida; and Hope Strickland Spangler (husband Gearld) of Nashville, Tennessee. James is also survived by his grandson James Ray Spangler III of Dayton, Ohio and his sister Edith Turner of Knoxville, Tennessee.
James was born in Hubbard Springs, Virginia on May 12, 1930, and lived in Lee County for 38 years where we worked as a carpenter and owner of Spangler Construction and Building Supplies in Pennington Gap. He and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1968 where he worked as a carpenter at Wright Patterson Air Force Base until his retirement in 1991.
James was devoted husband and father who will be missed dearly. He was a soft spoken and talented man who enjoyed nature, good food, reading, and westerns. His sense of humor brought joy to all who knew him through his quick wit and stories about growing up in Lee County.
A private memorial service will be held for James at the home of his son James Ray Spangler II.