Darla JoAnn “Nanny” Ray, age 65, of Peoria, Illinois, died at 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at The Loft Rehabilitation of Peoria, Illinois.
She was born on May 26, 1959, in Galesburg, Illinois the daughter Waldo and Darla Jean (Nesbit) Ray, Jr. She attended and graduated from Spoon River Valley, then she graduated with a Masters Degree from Illinois State University.
Surviving are two sisters, Susan Ray and Cathy Colvin of Littleton, Colorado; an aunt Noma Nesbit of Galesburg, Illinois; two uncles, Donald (Mary Jo) Ray of Maquon, Illinois and Gilbert Lewis of Maquon; many cousins, and four special friends, named “The Hens”. She was preceded in death by her parents and infant brother.
She was elementary 3rd grade teacher for Farmington Central District #265, retiring in 2016, after teaching thirty-four years. She volunteered at Wildlife Prairie Park since 2016.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. with a visitation beginning at 1:30 p.m. at Hurd-Hendricks Funeral Homes & Crematory in Knoxville, Illinois. Interment will be in the Knoxville Cemetery, Knoxville, Illinois. Memorials may be made to Wildlife Prairie Park or to St. Jude’s. On-line condolences and/or expressions of sympathy may be sent through www.hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com.