Ray Hatfield

Ray Hatfield (May 14, 1945 – June 8, 2025) was a Scott County Road Superintendent in the 1990s.

Biography

Born Ray Edwin Hatfield on May 14, 1945, he was the son of Finley Hatfield and Hattie Watson of Norma. He was one of seven children. His siblings included sisters Fala, Sheila, Sheldia and Sandra, and brothers Loy and Floyd.

The Hatfield family has been deeply rooted in the Norma community for several generations. George Washington Hatfield, Ray Hatfield’s second-great-grandfather, was a Civil War veteran who is buried at Norma Baptist Church. Ray’s father was an ordained Baptist minister who pastored numerous churches.

Ray married Loretta Boshears, the daughter of Edward Boshears Sr. (1916-1976) and Nora Day (1915-2003). Like the Hatfield family, the Boshears family has deep roots in eastern Scott County, dating back to Isaac Boshears (sometimes spelled Brashears or Beshiers) and his wife, Elizabeth Wilson, who moved to present-day Scott County in the early 1800s.

Ray and Loretta had two children: daughter Suzanne and son Chad.

Road Superintendent

Ray Hatfield served two terms as Scott County Road Superintendent in the 1990s, spending a total of eight years in office.

Hatfield’s political battles with James D. “Headin” Lay were legendary, with the two squaring off in several different elections. Lay’s campaign slogan was “Pave the way with Headin Lay,” a reference to the fact that he surfaced many of Scott County’s roads with tar and chip, or “cold mix pavement.” Hatfield countered that with his own campaign slogan, “All the way with Hot Mix Ray,” a reference to the fact that he was using asphalt to resurface many roads in the county.

The two men first squared off in the 1986 election, which Lay won by a razor-thin margin of 2,953 to 2,828. Hatfield dominated in his home precinct of Fairview, 741 to 199, while also winning Robbins, Elgin, Paint Rock, Huntsville and Helenwood. But Lay dominated in Oneida, winning West Oneida by a 625 to 137 margin and Oneida proper by a 441 to 140 margin. He also won by a 247 to 50 margin at Ponderosa. Roger Bridges and L.A. Chambers were also candidates in that year’s race.

Four years later, in 1990, Lay again defeated Hatfield by a narrow margin, 3,562 to 3,351. Again, Hatfield dominated Fairview, winning 820 to 271, while Lay dominated Oneida, winning 475 to 271 in Oneida proper and 632 to 213 in West Oneida.

Finally, in the 1994 election, Hatfield broke through. He defeated Lay that year by a margin of 3,634 to 3,219, while Bridges finished third. Hatfield again dominated Fairview, out-polling Lay there by a count of 619 to 164, and won big in the 2nd District precincts of Elgin and Robbins.

The two men again battled to a close finish in the 1998 election, with Hatfield winning 3,833 to 3,745.

Hatfield finished fourth in the 2002 election, behind Dick Sexton, Marvin Miller and Lay. He left office on Sept. 1, 2002, concluding his tenure as Road Superintendent.

Death

Hatfield died on June 8, 2025 at his Norma home with his family by his side. He was 80 at the time. He was buried at Hatfield Family Cemetery on June 11, 2025, with Michael Ray Jeffers presiding over the graveside service. At the time of his death he and his wife, Loretta, had been married 59 years. He had seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.