Jo-Anna Ray

Jo-Anna Ray departed this life unexpectedly on June 13, 2026. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the beloved daughter of the late Clarence Edward and Joyce Ann Wheeler Ray and had recently celebrated in April, 59 years of a life well and lovingly lived.

Known affectionately as Sis, Sissy, and Auntie, Jo-Anna was a woman who never met a stranger. She had a rare and natural gift for making everyone around her feel seen and cherished, and she poured that warmth especially into her nieces and nephews, whom she delighted in spoiling at every opportunity.

Jo-Anna had recently retired, just six months prior to her passing, from the Harlan County Board of Education, where she had served as the Assistant Cafeteria Manager at Cumberland Elementary School. She took great joy in serving hot, delicious meals to the children each day, learning their names, listening to their stories, and treating her co-workers as her own family. Her presence in that school was a gift to all who passed through its doors.

A devoted member of Tri-City Pentecostal Church, Jo-Anna had served faithfully as a choir director and as a secret sister. She loved the Lord deeply, and that love found its clearest expression in song, as she treasured gospel hymns and never missed an opportunity to lift her voice in worship. Her Christian faith, rooted in a strong upbringing, shaped her into one of the most loving, caring, and devoted followers of Christ. She lived simply, humbly, and without pretense, never trying to be anything other than exactly who she was.

At home, Jo-Anna was equally beloved. She was a wonderful cook and a more-than-respectable baker, famous among family for her honeybun cakes and homemade chocolate brownies. She treasured family gatherings above all else, spending hours relishing old memories and savoring the making of new ones.

She was preceded in death by her loving parents; her sisters, Susan Gail Gilbert and Rhonda Forester; her nephew, Michael Brandon Gilbert; and her brother-in-law, Donnie Gilbert.

Jo-Anna leaves behind a great company of those who will carry her love forward: her siblings, Jennifer (Rex) Blanton, Gregory (Jeannie) Ray, Clarence "Jackie" (Mary) Ray, David (LaDonna) Ray, Dena (Lynn) Schwartz, and Dana Ray; her nieces and nephews, Kimberly (Will) Stanton, Rebecca (James) Fields, Seth (Jenny) Blanton, Erin (Aaron) Cloer, James Forester, Daniel Forester, Cierra Almquist, Devon Ray, Nicholas Ray, Elizabeth (Evan) Draeger, David Michael Ray, Lauren (Steele) Ward, Crystal Boyd, Adam Schwartz, Jonathan Begley, and Jamie Begley; her great-nieces and nephews, Dylan (Madison) Stanton, Savannah (Brandon) Coots, James Daniel Lee "JD" Fields, Michael Waylan Gilbert, Drew, Sam and Conner Blanton, Silas, Mary, Judah Cloer, Landon, Ian and Addison Forester, Camden Ray, Baytz Almquist, Landry, and Layni; and her great-great-nieces, Natalie, Blakelyn, and Millie Stanton, a host of other relatives and friends.

Jo-Anna was like a warm kitchen on a cold morning, the kind of place everyone wanted to be, full of good smells, familiar voices, and the feeling that everything was going to be alright. That kitchen may have gone quiet, but the recipes she left behind, in the hearts of every child she fed, every hymn she led, every cake she baked and memory she made, will nourish her family for generations to come.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 16th, 2026, at Tri-City Pentecostal Church from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Funeral services will follow on Wednesday, June 17th, at 2 p.m. from the church, with Brother Billy Lewis officiating.
A private family burial will take place in the Ray Family Cemetery at Dione, Kentucky.

Cumberland Valley Funeral Home is honored to serve the Ray Family.

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