Volley Ray “Doc” Dooley
Volley Ray, V.R. “Doc” Dooley was born Oct. 10, 1920 in Lone Oak, Texas and died in his Grand Prairie home Feb. 28, 2015. Services will be 2:00pm Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at Highland Terrace Baptist Church under the direction of Coker-Mathews Funeral Home with Rev. Bob Layman and Dr. Carole Walker officiating. Visitation will be 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Tuesday at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Prairie Valley Cemetery.
V.R. Doc Dooley, Songwriter, Lifelong Christian, War Hero, Father and Humble man shared a life of ministry and honor with his many friends and family. Growing up on a farm in Lone Oak, Gospel music was part of Doc’s life from an early age. Spending his teen years in the Fairlie community north of Commerce, Texas his musical family began playing in small country churches. By his late teens he began playing piano for professional gospel quartets, including the famous Stamps-Baxter Quartet.
Christmas Day 1943, Doc married Anna Mae Walker and they were married 59 years before she preceded him in death in 2003. Immediately after they married, Doc was drafted in the United States Army and sent to Europe. Corporal Dooley served as an infantryman in the 94th Infantry Division. Trained as a rifleman, after the death of a fellow soldier, Dooley carried the Company’s BAR, Browning automatic rifle. Dooley surprised German tanks, protected his company on patrols, and outsmarted a German minefield while in Europe; his actions earned him the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and a Presidential Unit Citation.
After returning from the war he concentrated on starting a family, teaching piano and directing music at several churches in the Dallas area. He had a long career and retired from the U.S. Postal Service. In 1988, Doc and Anna moved to Greenville, where he continued to write and play music. His long music career included over 410 gospel songs published by numerous Christian Music Companies. In 1992 he was awarded Gospel Song Writer of the Year. In 2007 he was awarded the Piano Roll of Honor of the Southern Gospel Music Hall Of Fame. His songs have been recorded by several gospel groups including the Hays Family, the Speer Family and Jo San Singers. His song “Heavenly Highways” is included in the Benson church music book.
Doc served as a deacon at Highland Terrace Baptist Church. He was featured by the East Texas War and Memory Lecture Series. Before his death, unaware to him, he was accepted into the Honor Flight where veterans can be taken to Washington D.C. and honored for service.
Doc is survived by sons Michael Dooley and wife Tammy of Granbury, John Dooley and wife Glenda of Midlothian; grandchildren Amy Morgan and husband Peter, Bart Dooley and wife Lisa, Landon Dooley, Luke Dooley and Mary Dooley; great-grandchildren Anna Morgan, Katharine Morgan and Georgia Morgan; and sister, Oneta Barnes. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents and eight siblings.
His pallbearers will be Byron Bell, Larry Barnes, Forest Reeder, James Walker, James Barnes and Charles Reede.