Our History
In 1936, Vance Ray and his wife, Lydia, established Ray Funeral Home at its current location, 119 N. Market Street in Madison. Their son Steve joined the business in 1950. Vance Ray passed away in 1977, and Lydia Ray passed away in 1980.
The original wooden structure went through a major renovation in 1952 with the addition of a second story and brick veneering. In 1981, the corner lot beside the funeral home was acquired, and a chapel was constructed.
The funeral home remained under the ownership until 1986. At that time, the funeral home ownership passed from the Ray family to Forbis and Dick. This allowed the Forbis family to expand the quality of service and commitment to families that they were noted for in Guilford County into Rockingham County.
In 1997, with a desire to enhance our facilities and provide a more comforting and accommodating environment, the original funeral home was removed and was replaced with a new building. The new facilities provided two new spacious visitation rooms, a new conference room, a large casket selection room, and new office space. At that time, the chapel was renovated.
Ray Funeral Home is now under the management of Howie Terry, who resides in Stoneville with his wife and daughter.
Ray Funeral Home has been serving families in Rockingham County for over eighty years and our family would be honored to serve your family.
-
Howie Terry Manager/Funeral Director/Embalmer
Howie grew up in Shiloh, NC. He graduated from McMichael High school in 2007. He met his wife, Jessica in 2008 while working for Fuzzy’s BBQ. Howie and Jessica were married in 2015 and have 2 children, Haisley and Haxton. Howie started at Ray Funeral Home in 2012 as a funeral assistant. He then transferred to Forbis and Dick- Stokesdale, where he obtained both his funeral directing and embalming licenses. He returned to Ray Funeral Home in 2017 as Manager. He is a member of the Stoneville Rotary Club and a past board member for the Barry Joyce Cancer Center. Howie hopes to serve the families of Rockingham County for as long as he can. Howie enjoys politics, grilling out, hanging out with friends, and going on vacations with his family.
-
Bud Cardwell Funeral Assistant
-
Dale Durham Funeral Assistant
Dale was born and raised in Stoneville, NC and graduated from Dalton L. McMichael High school in 2019. He is currently enrolled at Fayetteville Technical Community College studying funeral service. He joined Ray Funeral Home in 2018 and is currently serving his apprenticeship. Dale has been racing karts on dirt for over 15 years, winning multiple championships. He enjoys spending time with his family and hanging out with friends. He also enjoys doing woodwork, cooking on the grill, and listening to old country music. Dale considers it an honor to serve the families of Rockingham County.
-
Jo Ann Elmore Funeral Assistant
I was raised by my parents, Bob & Jennie Craft, on a farm in Jones County. Graduated from Jones Central H.S. in Trenton, NC. Married in 1965 and I have two boys, Packer and Scotty. Moved to Madison in 1975. Worked with Jones County Board of Education, Rockingham County Board of Education, Stoneville Furniture Co., Gem-Dandy and K-Mart Pharmacy. Retired in 2016 and enjoying traveling with my sister and going out to eat with family and friends.
-
Kaye Cook Secretary
Kaye graduated from Madison High school and attended High Point College. She began her working career at Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company (now Lincoln Financial) with her final 2 years working for the Chairman of the Board. From there, she worked with MacField and Mayo Yarns for 30 years. After the sale of Mayo Yarns, she held positions with several companies before coming to Ray Funeral Home in 2009, leaving in 2013, and returning in 2018. Kaye is a member of Mt. Hermon UMC serving as Treasurer and has served as Organist/Pianist for many years. Kaye and Wayne have been married for 60 years; having one daughter, Tonya Hudy; a grandson, Marc; and her great-granddaughters, Lexi, Ava and Natalie.
-
Ray Bullins Funeral Assistant
Ray has lived in Stoneville all of his life. Earlier in life, he worked for Joyce Furniture in Madison and learned the trade of fixing appliances. Ray can still be found all around Rockingham County fixing broken appliances. He was a volunteer for the Stoneville Fire Department for 22 years. He was a member of the Stoneville Jaycees and loves to play golf. Ray has been with the funeral home since 2006 and enjoys helping people.
-
Ricky Craddock Funeral Assistant
Ricky has lived in Stoneville all his 67 years. He was the Mayor of Stoneville for 8 years and served on the Town Council for over 20 years. Ricky is a member of Stoneville First Baptist Church where he serves on the Deacon Board. Hes been married to his wife, Nancy for 46 years, having 2 children and 4 grandchildren. Ricky started his working career in the Tabaco fields. His first public job was at Moore’s Supermarket in Stoneville where he worked for almost 9 years. He then worked for Marita Bread Company where he delivered bread for 34 years. After retiring from Marita in 2012, taking one day off, he started with McMichael High school, serving as head custodian. He retired from the school in 2018 and started at Ray Funeral Home, where he finds it to be a rewarding job. Ricky enjoys reading, fishing, and walking. He has walked on foot to Greensboro from Stoneville 3 times.
-
Sammy Martin Funeral Assistant
Sammy has lived in Mayodan his entire life. He graduated from Madison-Mayodan High school in 1975. He went on to work in textiles until 1988. He married his wife, Ginger in 1989. Sammy worked for the Mayodan Police Department for almost 29 years and retired from there in 2015. He has been a volunteer fire fighter for the past 40 years. Sammy also sits on the Mayodan Planning and Zoning Board and has worked at Ray Funeral Home for the past 9 years. He enjoys washing and detailing vehicles.
-
Varnie Boyd Funeral Assistant
Varnie is a lifetime resident of Sandy Ridge, NC. He was a Vietnam Veteran and served in the United States Airforce for 4 years. He retired from Sears after 28 years of employment. Varnie also owned his own business for over 15 years. He is a current member of the American Legion serving as Vice Commander. He has been with Ray Funeral Home for the past 11 years.
-
Harry Bullins Funeral Assistant
Harry is a native of Rockingham County and has been living in Mayodan for the past 20 years. He worked for the Guilford County Police Department for over 34 years before retiring. He has been married to his wife Christina for 30 years and they have 2 children. He joined Ray Funeral Home in 2019.
-
Randy Farmer Funeral Assistant
-
Kathy Stanley-Galvan Secretary
-
Bishop William Phillips Funeral Assistant
For over 25 years, Bishop Phillips has been a prominent leader in his community. As native of Madison, North Carolina, he prides himself on honesty, commitment, and the well-being of others. Bishop Phillips is the Pastor and Founder of The Fountain of Youth Outreach Ministry, a thriving and diversified church, located in the city of Madison. He has a passion for learning with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree. With a decade of successful experience, he serves his community in the capacity of Chaplin to both the Madison Police and Fire Department, where he plays an instrumental role with aiding to resolve ethical issues and facilitate transparency in our community. Bishop Phillips is globally experienced, value driven, and as of recent, he has been elevated to the office of Mayor. He also has the pleasure of being a member of the Rotary Club, serves on the board of the Barry Joyce Cancer Center, and the Care Connect Advisory Board. He is an accomplished businessman who has successfully founded and operated two businesses and has developed partnerships within the community. While he has a dedication for his community, his greatest joy is the support of his loving wife Jane Phillips, his son Justin Phillips, and his two grandchildren Amora and Saint Phillips.
