Florence J Ray

Florence J. Ray, known affectionately to her grandchildren as Nina, was born to the late Augustus Jones and Effie Pearl (Hastings) Jones, on Sunday, October 18, 1931, in Tupelo, Arkansas. She passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at the age of 92. 

Florence is preceded in death by her parents, Augustus and Effie Pearl Jones; beloved husband, Edward Ray, siblings Oscar Jones, Mary Odell (Jones) Hicks and Allen Jones; son-in-law, John Ferguson; and her best friend Lucy Fay Meise. 

She is survived by her children, Jim Lee (Ray) Ferguson and David Ray; stepchildren Linda Ray Venczel and Donald Edward Ray; step grandchildren Jennifer Ray Wood and Kimberly Ray Parker; grandchildren Jordan Ferguson, Joseph Ferguson, Courtney (Ray) Waggle, her husband Eli Waggle, and David E. Ray; great grandchildren Silas Waggle and Rowan Waggle; and nephew Scott Hicks and his wife Roberta Hicks; and great nieces, Samantha and Amanda Hicks. 

Florence grew up in Tupelo, Arkansas, and attended college at UCA in Conway, Arkansas. She met and married the love of her life, Ed Ray. She worked as a nanny to Riley, Forbes, and Evan Lipschitz, and loved being their Nina too. She loved to spend time with her family and friends. Her friends and neighbors loved to come visit, and she loved getting up early on the weekends to shop garage sales. She loved to watch soap operas and recorded them to watch later. She always jokingly complained that she was “a week behind”. She loved watching sports, especially baseball and Arkansas Razorbacks football and basketball. She loved when her oldest brother, Oscar, came to her home from Tupelo to spend a few days with her, and attend Travelers Baseball games together at Ray Winder Field. Her greatest joy was her grandchildren, and she loved taking them and her great nieces to her family home in Tupelo, AR, every Easter, to spend time with Oscar. 

Known as Nina to her family, Florence will be remembered for her no-nonsense demeanor, sense of humor, funny sayings, like “Great day in the morning!”, and her dedication to her family, which was evident in everything she did. She made every holiday great, whether it was Christmas or Easter, and loved to celebrate everyone’s birthday at her house with their favorite birthday dinner and cake. Nina’s happiness and enjoyment in the simple things in life will live on with everyone who knew her. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered as a woman who lived life with so much love and happiness and whose love touched the lives of many people.