Ray Rouse dies at age 93
By Dennis Hill
Published in News on July 17, 2016 1:45 AM
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Ray Rouse Jr.
Ray Rouse Jr., who brought a businessman's sensibility to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, died Thursday in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., where he had lived for a number of years.
He was 93.
Rouse took his father's construction company, R.N. Rouse and Co., and built it into one of the state's leading businesses, with a reputation for getting big projects finished on time.
He served on the county Board of Commissioners for one term in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was elected chairman by his fellow commissioners. He previously served two terms on the Goldsboro Board of Aldermen.
As a commissioner Rouse developed a reputation as a no-nonsense leader who spoke his mind. He was instrumental in the rebuilding of the county courthouse and the development of the county's solid waste disposal process.
Rouse served in World War II as a B-24 pilot in the Army Air Corps after graduating from North Carolina State University. He worked in the construction business for decades, and was eventually joined in the business by his four sons.
He was civic minded as well, serving on the boards of the Wayne County Economic Development Commission, the Goldsboro Committee of 100, the Goldsboro Chamber of Commerce, the Wayne County Public Library, Wayne Memorial Hospital, St. Paul United Methodist Church, Wayne Country Day School and the Wayne County Boys and Girls Club.
In 1989, Rouse was honored with the Distinguished Citizens Award by the Torhunta District of the Boy Scouts of America.