Obituary from Holman Funeral Home of Ozark – Ozark, Alabama
CW3 John Ray Kennamore, Sr. (United States Army, Retired), a resident of Dothan and formerly of Ozark, died Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in Flowers Hospital. He was 88 years old. Funeral services for CW3 Kennamore will be 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in the Chapel of Holman Funeral Home in Ozark with Reverend Jason Johnson officiating. Entombment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery with Full Military Honors, Holman Funeral Home of Ozark directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home in Ozark Wednesday from 9:30 A.M. until service time.
John Ray Kennamore, a devoted husband, decorated United States Army veteran, aviation safety pioneer, and lifelong public servant, passed away after a life defined by perseverance, courage, and unwavering service to others. Born on May 27, 1937, in Birmingham, Alabama, Ray’s early years were shaped by profound hardship. Raised by his widowed grandmother in extreme poverty—often without electricity, plumbing, or a permanent home—he learned resilience, humility, and self-reliance at a young age. Those early struggles forged the quiet strength, determination, and work ethic that would guide him throughout his life. At just 18 years old, Ray enlisted in the United States Army on January 3, 1956, beginning a distinguished military career that spanned more than two decades. While stationed in Germany, he met the love of his life, Christel Becher, and they were married on April 1, 1958. Their marriage became his constant anchor through years of deployments, danger, and sacrifice. Ray served his country in some of its most critical moments, including duty in Beirut, Lebanon; Berlin during the Berlin Crisis; and two combat tours in Vietnam. As an Army aviator and warrant officer, he flew rotary-wing aircraft in combat and later served in leadership roles as Operations Officer, Safety Officer, and Instructor Pilot. He was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in a rocket and mortar attack in Vietnam—an attack that tragically claimed the life of a fellow pilot and close friend. Beyond the battlefield, Ray left an enduring legacy in military aviation safety. While assigned to the U.S. Army Safety Center, he helped pioneer groundbreaking human-factors research that transformed how aviation accidents are investigated. His work reshaped safety practices across all branches of the military and influenced national aviation safety standards, saving countless lives in the decades that followed. After retiring from active duty in 1976, Ray continued to serve others through civilian roles. He worked in law enforcement with the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, instructed future Army aviators, and later served as a GS-13 Aviation Safety Officer with the U.S. Army Safety Center until 2004. Ray often spoke with gratitude about how the military changed his life—taking a boy from desperate circumstances and giving him purpose, education, and opportunity. He earned his GED, a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, a master’s degree in criminal justice, and completed post-graduate studies in psychology, proving through example that perseverance can overcome even the most difficult beginnings. In retirement, Ray embraced a well-earned slower pace, enjoying time with loved ones, a sharp sense of humor, and the simple pleasure of rest—often joking that he was “working hard at doing nothing.” Above all else, Ray was a devoted husband and family man whose life reflected quiet strength, integrity, and service. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. John Ray Kennamore is survived by his beloved wife, Christel Kennamore; his children, John Kennamore, Jr. and wife Paula, and Sylvia Diana Scyphers and husband Sonny; his grandchildren, Steven Scyphers and wife Mallory, Justin Kennamore and wife Kerri, Brandy Kennamore, Sharon Mines, Brandon Kennamore and wife Anna, and Andrew Kennamore and wife Cherish; his great-grandchildren, Natalie Pierce, Izabella Kennamore, Bradon Kennamore, Alexis Kennamore, Molly Kate Mines, Hadley Scyphers, Claire Mines, Brody Brannon, Paxton Kennamore, Maren Scyphers, Jaxon Robinson, and Braelyn Chalmers; and many close family members and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his memory to your local animal shelter; or to The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 1 Metroplex Drive , Suite 230, Birmingham, Alabama 35209 (alz.org).
Condolences may be expressed at www.HolmanFuneralHome.com
