Knoxville Information Hotel Information Campground Information Southern Hospitality Showdown World Tournament Merchandise 2012 ENTRY FORM Prize List Rules Proposals to be voted on at convention

We are pleased to announce that the following sites
will be competing for the 2014 W.T.
1) Wausau, WI
2) Buffalo, NY
3) Charleston, WV
Current Entries 800+ - list updated 5-14

The NHPA/NHPF is again conducting the World Tournament Experience raffle. Tickets are $5.00 each, or 5 tickets for $20. We will have ticket sellers in many charters, but not all. If you are interested in (read more)

Walter Ray Williams, Sr. of Lady Lake, Florida, died early Tuesday morning on May 1st, 2012 in Ocala, Florida. Ray, as he was known by his family and friends, was born on June 28th, 1933 in San Jose, California to Walter Whitman Williams and Hazel Rae (Ashcroft) Williams. He was preceded in death by his parents, older brother Roland and daughter Cynthia Lee Von Tungeln. Ray is survived by younger brother Robert, daughters Deborah Joy Katz and Barbara Lynn Alsup, and sons Walter Ray Jr., Jeffery Allen, Jonathan Francis and Nathan Clay plus 15 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Ray graduated high school in 1951 and served in the army for 2 years during the Korean conflict. A salesman in a variety of industries, Ray ultimately focused on selling wood products. While living in Campbell and Gilroy, CA, Ray was active in the Masonic Lodge and was the youngest Master installed for the region at age 27. In 2005, he received his 50 year membership pin. Following his passion for pitching horseshoes, Ray established several horseshoe pitching clubs including the Redwood Empire club based out of Eureka California, which hosted the 1973 World Horseshoe Pitching Championships, the first championship to be held indoors. Ray and his horseshoe pitching sons were featured in an episode of “On the Road with Charles Kuralt” and a chapter in the book. From 1973 until 1976 Ray served as the Secretary/Treasurer for the National Horseshoe Pitcher's Association and he was later inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1999.

After Ray retired in 2000, he moved to The Villages in Florida where he enjoyed what he called his “simple life”. The family is having a celebration of life service in late June in Northern California. Donations of memorial gifts to Marion County Hospice in Florida would be greatly appreciated by the family.