Alice Louise Ray

Funeral services for Ms. Alice Louise Raney Ray will be held Friday, April 20, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home, with Rev Dr. Nancy B Warner officiating. Burial will be held at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Ms. Alice Ray, age 83, of Meridian passed away Monday, April 16, 2018, at her home surrounded by her family.

Alice was born in Brinkley, Arkansas and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. She received a B.A. from Mississippi College in 1955 and a M.S. from Mississippi State University in 1993. She moved to Meridian in 1961. She worked as a Science teacher at Kate Griffin Junior High School. She also worked as a Science teacher at Lamar High School. She later worked for the March of Dimes and then at Weems Community Mental Health Center as a licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist. Later, she worked at East Mississippi State Hospital, and finally at the Wesley House Community Center, until she retired at age 80. She served as the national president of the Junior Auxiliaries, and volunteered for the Red Cross and the Meridian Little Theater. She has been an active member of the First Baptist Church of Meridian since 1961, where she was a member of the choir, the church bells group, and she worked in the nursery.

Survivors include her brother, Paul Norris Raney and wife, Barbara Katherine Jone; sons, Phil Otis Nelson, III and wife, Judith Anne Derenbecker and daughter, Kellie Ann; son, Mark Raney Nelson; son, Harvey Blanton Ray, Jr; daughter, Emily Louise Tillman  and husband, James Warren Tillman, Jr and son, James Warren Tillman III, wife Ivy Rose McNeil and son, Jacob Ray Tillman; son, Craig McNeil Ray, wife Michelle Lynn Oatman and son, Alex Jacob Ray; nephew, Van Arden Raney; niece, Paula Dawn Raney; niece, Kitty Raney, and niece Linda Raines; and honorary daughter, Beth Carver Calderon.

She was preceded in death by her father, Jeff D. Raney, Sr and mother, Edith Vestial, and her brother Jeff D. Raney, Jr.

The family requests memorials be made to The Wesley House Community Center in Meridian, MS.

Pallbearers will be sons Phil Nelson, Mark Nelson, Blanton Ray, Craig Ray, grandson Tripp Tillman and nephew Van Raney.

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at robertbarhamffh.com.

Visitation will be held Friday, April 20, 2018 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home.