Earl Ray Stadelbacher

     Earl Ray Stadelbacher, 74, of Greenville, MS, formerly of Champaign, IL, passed away on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Baptist Memorial GTR Hospital in Columbus, MS. Ray was born on April 22, 1951, in Champaign, IL, to the late Earl Alfred and Anita Jeanne Stadelbacher. He graduated from St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville, MS in 1969. 

     He began his career in 1970 at Nickleson File, working in the Accounting Department. Ray later became the Quality Manager at Mec Inc, where he specialized in third party certifications until his retirement in 2016. He was heavily involved in the local ASQ chapter and was a Certified Quality Engineer (CQE). He took great pride in his quality audits, and his attention to detail made him very successful in his quality duties. He taught his children the value of hard work and “no step for a stepper”.

      Ray was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Greenville, MS where he was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus. He cherished time with his family and always asked for pictures of his kids and grandkids for Christmas. He enjoyed socializing with all those he met and he loved playing cards and dice with friends, as well as fishing on the Mississippi River. In addition to his parents, Ray was preceded in death by his two sisters, Terry Lynn and Carol Sue, and a brother, Richard “Ricky” Stadelbacher. 

     He is survived by his beloved two daughters, Regina (Jason) Minga of Columbus, MS and Laura (Timithy) Marble of Southaven, MS, six grandchildren—Amber (Brandon) Bonner, Anna Minga, Jacob Minga, Justin Hutchinson, Megan (Sam) McDonald, and Nathan Marble—and three greatgrandchildren, Eleanor Bonner, Lily McDonald, and Elijah McDonald. He is also survived by his two sisters, Mary Ann (Odis) Hill and Lisa Cain, both of Greenville, MS and one brother, Ronald Stadelbacher of Winter Haven, FL. and a host of nieces and nephews. 

     A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cobden, IL. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Cobden, IL. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church.