Catherine Irene Ray

Catherine Irene (Roney) Ray, 87, of Macon, Georgia, fell asleep in the Lord on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 12 noon at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, 859 First Street. Father Theodore Ehmer will officiate. The family will have a time of visitation on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Trisagion service beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Snow’s at Macon Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Born in Macon, Georgia, she was the daughter of the late Nikolaos Roniotis and Christophili Saranti Roniotis of Greece. She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel Turner Ray III; son, Samuel Turner Ray IV; son-in-law, Terry Patrick McKinnie; great-granddaughter, Zoe Stephens; and sister-in-law, Patricia Roney.

Irene “Renie” Ray was the Traffic Director for WMAZ Radio and Television, retiring in 2007 after 54 years of service to the community. She was a member of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church. In 2016, Irene was honored by the Metropolis of Atlanta with the Archangel Michael Award for her many years of service to her church.

She was a member of the Sophia, Agape, and Elpis Greek Ladies Club, and the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, where she was involved in various charitable and social endeavors. She was also a member of the Optimist Club of Macon, the WMAZ Lunch Bunch, and the co-owner of Ray Concessions with Sam “Chuck” Ray.

She leaves behind to cherish her memory her daughters: Christine Ray Holland (Guy), Donna Demetra Saranti, and Denna Ray Bradford; grandchildren: Niki Skinner (Dewayne), Jessica Stephens (Kendall), David-Lee Bradford (Camelia), and Rebekah Stammer (Kyle); great-grandchildren: Tevin Singleton, Maisie Davenport (Chris), Olivia Stephens, Christopher Stephens (Kajiah), Dylan Skinner, and Isaac Stephens; great-great-grandchildren: Braydon Davenport, Maison Davenport, Ryder Herringdine, Jaxon Griffen, Jackson Stammer, Harper Stammer, and Everleigh Bass; brother, Jimmy Roney; and brother-in-law, John Coleman Ray.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made online at www.holycrossga.org/iconography or payable to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church (ATTN: Iconography Project Fund); 859 First Street; Macon, Georgia 31201.

Snows at Macon Memorial Park Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Loving Tribute to Irene Ray:

The American generation between the Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation is known as the “Silent Generation”. This group is also sometimes referred to as the Traditionalist Generation or the Builders Generation. They were born between 1928 and 1945, encompassing those who experienced the Great Depression and/or World War II as children and came of age during the post-war boom. Perhaps the Builders Generation best describes many Americans that several of us know in this group.

From Macon’s Greek-American-Orthodox community, Irene Roniotis Ray epitomizes this “Builders Generation” more so than anyone else we’ve known in Macon. Irene, the proud daughter of Greek immigrants, Christophili Saranti Roniotis and Nikolaos Demetrios Roniotis, was committed and devoted to growing and nurturing her beautiful family.

She was always graciously welcoming newcomers into Macon’s Greek and Orthodox community, she created personal relationships across the entire Macon business and social community, she was establishing and “building” up business ventures with her mother, husband and entire family, she made sure that the Sophia Agape Elpis Club of Middle Georgia continued to thrive and grow in the 50s, 60s and 70s, especially when we did not have a “physical” Church to call home, and she also tirelessly worked towards the eventual development of a Greek Orthodox Church in West Macon in the 70s.

And then in 2004 Irene made sure that the “New Beginnings” Capital Campaign was successful in landing Holy Cross on her beloved First Street in Downtown Macon which was a dream come true for her and the other Orthodox faithful. In addition, she was instrumental in establishing a local chapter of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society which became very dear to her. Irene was also very instrumental the early years of the Central Georgia Greek Festival helping to establish it as a mainstay event in Downtown Macon.

This is the Irene that we have all known and loved for so many decades. This is the Irene that we will all dearly miss. This is the Irene who possessed the traditional Greek trait of “Philotimo” and who bridged the gap between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers. This is the Irene that will triumphantly enter God’s Eternal Kingdom as one of our community’s greatest “Builders”. May her memory be eternal.

With love in our Risen Lord and Savior,

Spyros and Emily Dermatas