Billy Ray McGraw

Billy Ray McGraw, age 77, a life-long resident of West Jefferson, Ohio met his Savior on Thursday, September 23, 2021 after a hard-fought, short battle with liver disease.  Born in Logan, WV to the late Leatha and Alfred McGraw, he moved to Central Ohio in the 1960’s. As a young adult, Bill built and raced cars with The Rod Shop in Columbus and went on to win the 1972 NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Championship. He owned and operated a domestic automotive car repair shop for almost 50 years in West Jefferson. Bill was an avid, competitive and leisure fisherman and loved fishing the weekends at his cabin. He enjoyed hunting and almost always kept busy outside. If you knew him well, you knew he would “run a buzz-bait down the lake” if he could. In addition to his parents, Billy Ray was preceded in death by his son Billy Ray McGraw, Jr., his granddaughter Savannah Newman and his siblings Willard, Earl, Herman, Gladys, Arthur, Helen, Lawrence, Hazel and Opal. Billy Ray is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years Suzanne McGraw, sister Dorothy Adams, children Joseph (Cynthia), Maria (Tom), Bobbie, Mike (Susan), Melanie (Daryl) and Kelly (Tara), his grandchildren: Heather, Kyle, Heath, Kelsey, Isaac, Taylor, Aaron, Jayden, Benjamin, Caleb, Jesse, Brady, Michael, Riley and Matthew, six great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law Joyce Gee and Phyllis Casto, brother-in-law Donald Swickard, and their families, special nephews Gene (Theresa) Adams and Dallas (Sherie) Lehman, and many friends.  Family will receive friends from 3:00p.m.-5:00p.m. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 at the RADER-MCDONALD-TIDD FUNERAL HOME, 1355 West Main Street, West Jefferson, OH 43162 (614)-879-9222 where his Funeral Service will follow the visitation and begin at 5:00p.m. WEDNESDAY.  Private family burial will be held at Sunset Cemetery.  Please visit www.radermcdonaldtiddfuneralhome.com to share your favorite memories of Billy Ray and to send your condolences to the McGraw Family.