Ray, a Southampton County deputy sheriff who lost his life in the line of duty on August 29, 2009. Christopher was a native of Southampton County, VA, where, from an early age, he developed a passion for the outdoors and his community, becoming an avid sportsman and outdoorsman. From the time he was old enough to hold a fishing pole, Christopher spent his free time hunting and fishing on the Notto
way River. In 2005, he left home to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Radford University, where he continued pursuing his love for the outdoors by avidly hunting and fishing the New River in Southwestern VA. After completing his degree in 2009, Christopher returned home, and joined the Southampton County Sheriff’s Department as a Deputy Sheriff. He served Southampton proudly until he tragically lost his life when his car struck a fallen tree while responding to a house call in the early morning hours of August 29th 2009. Ironically, Christopher was catching trophy fish in the Nottoway up until his last hours, this proven by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Trophy Fish Citation awarded to Christopher for a fish caught on August 28th, 2009, which was received by family months after the accident. The Christopher Ray Memorial Scholarship was created to memorialize Christopher’s life and love for law enforcement through a scholarship fund that promoted careers in public safety. In funding the scholarship, Christopher’s closest friends and family wanted to honor him in a truly representative way. It was their vision to honor Christopher’s life and passion for the outdoors and his community by hosting a fishing tournament on the river where he grew up avidly hunting and fishing.
