MARY HELEN RAY

Mary Helen Ray, age 94, of Raymore, Missouri, passed away on Sunday, December 13, 2020.

A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 9, 2020 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1111 W. Foxwood Dr. Raymore, Missouri 64083. Immediately following visitation, a memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the church. ** A protective face mask will be required for each attendee inside the church. Those not able to attend may contact the church with streaming updates.

Mary H. McKim Ray was born July 4, 1926 in rural Worth Co., Missouri, daughter of Curtis W. and Helen (Spillman) McKim. Mary became a Christian at age twelve and was baptized in the Grant City, Missouri Baptist Church.

She moved with her parents to Kansas City, Missouri in the Fall of 1942 and graduated from Paseo High School in 1944. She then attended William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri 1944-1946, while her high school sweetheart served in WWII in the Army Air Corps. Upon his discharge, they were married, October 19, 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri. They were blessed with five children.

Mary finished college in 1966 at Northwest Missouri State College, Maryville, Missouri where she was inducted into Alpha Psi Omega, an honorary dramatics fraternity, then taught eight years in Trenton, Missouri before moving to Columbia, Missouri in 1975. She became an avid genealogist, at her father's request and became President of Missouri State Genealogical Association from 1992-1994. She joined the Columbian Chapter of DAR in 1991. Upon the death of Dr. William K. Ray, November 30, 2014, Mary moved to Raymore, Missouri, where she lives at Foxwood Springs, a Brookdale retirement community.

Mary is preceded in death by her loving husband Dr. William Ray; daughter Peggy McKee; parents, Curtis and Helen McKim; mother and father in law, B.J. and Hazel Ray; three brothers Robert, Quinton, and Bill McKim; three brother in laws, B.J. Jr., Franklin, and Jim Ray; four sister in laws, Doris Ray, Virginia Cole, Helen Kump, and Beverly Cadle. Mary is survived by her four sons, Bill, Randolph, Michael, and Tim Ray; and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the William K. and Mary H. Ray Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Northwest Missouri, 1006 W. St. Maartens Drive, Ste B., St. Joseph, Missouri 64506 or http://rayfamilyscholarship.com/

**At the following link please find a visual memoriam of the incredible and wonderful human who was my Grandmother. Everything she taught me about family, history and legacy will stay with me always. - Jennifer Ray

https://vimeo.com/497226968/31fa4d61c3

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278