Trois Ann Ray

Trois Ann Ray or "Tro" or "Nina" to many family and friends had a certain spunk to her that she will always be remembered for. With a phenomenal faith, she always looked forward to seeing Jesus's face and being reunited with her son. Family meant the world to her and Trois never believed that family could only be blood related. Even though she was uncensored, she was very caring, thoughtful and giving.

With WWII ending a few years prior, 1948 still saw a high demand of consumer goods and housing in the United States. The first pre-fabricated post war housing started to appear to solve the housing shortages to enable the baby boom after the war years by providing young couples with a home to start their family. NASCAR held their first race for modified stock cars in Daytona Beach, Florida and the game, Scrabble was introduced. The year also welcomed the birth of Merlin A. Rice and Mary (Baker) Rice's second child. Trois Ann Rice was born on February 2, 1948 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Growing up in rural Whitley County, Trois and her siblings, Merlin R., Patty and Jim lived off Lincoln Way near Coesse. She enjoyed being outside and playing outdoor sports. She was involved with cheerleading in grade school along with softball, basketball and dancing. At a young age she learned to cook and preferred it over cleaning her bedroom, leaving Patty with that chore.

While attending Columbia City Joint High School, she worked as a car hop at Penguin Point. She graduated in 1966 and she later welcomed two children, Terry and Amara Boyles with her former husband, Walter Boyles, Jr. into their hearts and home. In addition to raising her two children, she worked at Essex Wire, Magnavox, Central Soya and she retired in 2011 from Raytheon. On June 2, 1989 she married Dennis M. Ray in Columbia City. She had been a member of the Coesse United Methodist Church, the American Legion and Job's Daughters.

She enjoyed fishing, cooking and being outdoors. Trois was a gifted seamstress and made several prom dresses and wedding dresses over the years. She could turn any plain piece of fabric into a beautiful piece to wear. With family and friends meaning the most to her, every other Friday night was spent going with her family to the VFW fish fry's and spending time with her fellow classmates, the "Chicks of '66".

During Christmas time Trois would always have a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake made for her and her family to enjoy. On one special trip she took, she and her grandson Tyler went to the show, "The Price is Right" and even though she was not selected as a contestant, she could not have been more thrilled watching him go up on stage and try his luck on the show. Over the years she took several trips to Florida with friends but she could always find something to do close to home and did not have to travel far to be entertained. Her traveling was limited over the past few years as she took care of her husband Denny, who suffers from dementia and is in the nursing home.

Life will never be the same for her family and friends after they learned the news that Trois passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at her home. She is survived by her husband, Denny Ray shared the past 33 years together; daughter, Aimee and her husband, Mark Noragon, of Columbia City; sister, Patty Felver, of South Whitley; brother, Jim and his wife, Cheryl Rice, of Columbia City; sister, Alice Rice, of Albion; grandchildren, Tyler Noragon, Baley and her husband, Eric Davies, and Ryce Noragon; and great-grandchildren, Emily and Logan. She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Terry Boyles; and brother, Merlin R. Rice.

Visitation is 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with Pastor Tim Grable of Sugar Grove Church of God in Churubusco officiating. Memorial donations may be made in her memory toward her final expenses, I.C.O. DeMoney-Grimes. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send her family condolences online.