Rosalene Ray, age 82, of Rochester Hills, Michigan went to be with her Heavenly Father on May 16, 2022. She was born in Highland Park on August 24, 1939 and always said that her life began when she moved Rochester. Rosalene was in the first class to graduate from Rochester High School after they moved to the “new” building on Livernois in 1957. She met her childhood sweetheart William Ray, Jr. at church in 1952 and they were joined in marriage on April 19, 1958.
Rosalene’s mom, Mary Lockwood, was a “Rosie the Riveter” who worked at the GM foundry in Pontiac while her husband and four sons fought in World War II. Like her Mother, Rosalene was a “Greene girl” – meaning a woman coming from a family of self-determining and strong willed women from northern Alabama. Like her mother she was also a working Mom - primarily for GM. In the early 1960’s she worked as a secretary at GM Truck and Bus and in the late 1970’s she returned to work at Pontiac Motors; eventually ending her career as a Platform Manager at the GM Technology Center in the Engineering department. While working she returned to school and got her degree all while raising her family. She was a 50+ year active member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church. After retirement when she wasn’t wintering in Bonita Springs or traveling the country in their RV, she served her community by volunteering at the Rochester Public Library and Crittenton Hospital. Rosalene always had a passion for exercising and eating healthy - even as she made the absolute best apple pies ever! She shared that passion with others by taking course work to become a personal trainer.
Rosalene also was a figure skater, piano player, painter, seamstress, room-mother, antique collector, proud and doting grandmother, gardener, gracious hostess, life-long learner, environmentalist, and traveler. She was VERY patriotic, loved playing card games and absolutely adored the music of Frank Sinatra!
Rosalene was preceded in death by her mother and father Mary and Clarence Lockwood and her four brothers; Gilbert, James, Clyde, and George. She is loved and will be missed by so many including her loving, caring, and protective husband of 64 years, William Ray, Jr., her children; William (Kimberly) Ray III, Andrea (Eric) Chenoweth and Brian Ray, her grandchildren; William Ray IV, Alyssa (Nathan) Weeden, Lindsay (Tyler) Cary, and Grant (Deanna) Chenoweth, her great grandchildren; Luke and Elizabeth Cary, her sister and brothers in laws, Sharon Reed and Michael (Dawn) and Jeffery Ray; and so many nieces, nephews, cousins, and her RHS ’57 classmates as well as her best friend Betty Lou Hickey.
A memorial service for Rosalene will be held Friday, May 20, 2022 at 12:00 PM at St Paul's United Methodist Church, 620 Romeo Rd, Rochester, Michigan 48307, with gathering beginning at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Rosalene's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org).
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