Violet Mae (McKee) Ray, age 93, of Butler; peacefully passed away early on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
Born September 30, 1931 in Worthington, Armstrong County; she was the daughter of the late Thomas Clifford and Ethel Irene Wagner McKee.
Violet married Perry Franklin Ray, her high school sweetheart, on August 24, 1951.
She was a 1949 graduate of Worthington-West Franklin High School where she was Art Editor of her yearbook. She attended Indiana State Teacher’s College. She worked for 15 years at Lifesteps Ault Day Care in Butler.
Violet was a member of the Mt Zion Baptist Church, Prospect, where she was a former Sunday School Teacher and volunteered in the Church nursery.
She was active for 43 years in Butler County 4-H, including 4-H leader of the Unionville Community 4-H Club, the Unionville Sewing Club, and the Unionville Agricultural 4-H Club. She was a former member of the Unionville Grange and the Pennsylvania Gladiolus Society. She taught art at the First Baptist Christian School and was a Girl Scout Leader for several years.
Violet enjoyed riding horses as a youth on her family farm, teaching Sunday School, quilting, sewing, baking, gardening, 4-H, painting, and entomology. She also liked taking bus trips with her husband and traveled around Alaska, Canada, and the U.S. She found being a wife and stay-at-home mother made her happy and very fulfilled.
She is survived by five sons Richard Ray of Butler, Dennis Ray of Bulter, Thomas Ray of Harrisville, Jonathan Ray of Colorado, and Christopher (Leslie) Ray of Butler; four daughters Susan (Greg) Levish of Sarver, Hope (Larry) Hoffman of Mt Chestnut, Cindy (Guy) Weiland of Butler, and Karen (Jamal) Al-Faleh of Maryland, 25 Grandchildren , and 39 Great-Grandchildren, and 7 Great Great Grandchildren; her cat Kitty; and her brother Jack (Judy) McKee of Montrose, PA.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Perry F. Ray in 2019 after 67 years of marriage; her brothers Dean R. McKee, T. Craig McKee, James A. McKee; and her sister Marilyn R. McKee.
Visitation will be Monday, February 3, 2025 from 2pm to 6pm at the Raisley Funeral Home and Cremation Services, pc., 387 Main Street, Prospect.
Funeral Service will be on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 11am, at Mt Zion Baptist Church, 2251 Prospect Road, Prospect, with Rev. Ben Oesterling, officiating.
Interment will be at Greenlawn Burial Estates, Mt Chestnut, PA.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Mt Zion Baptist Church, 2251 Prospect Road, Prospect, PA
For more information or to leave an online tribute go to www.raisleyfuneralhome.com