Daniel Keith Ray

Daniel Keith Ray, 63, of Morganton, passed away under Hospice care on Sunday, July 27, 2025 following a period of declining health.

Daniel was born January 17, 1962 in Buncombe County, a son of Bobby Jene Ray and the late Dorothy Jean Thomas Ray Gibbs. He served as a Wildlife Biologist in District Eight and served eleven counties in Western North Carolina prior to retirement in 2023. He was an active member of the Morganton Church of Christ; the Wildlife Society, for whom he served a term as president; Clan MacRae Society; Loch Norman Games as coordinator; and the Boone and Crockett Club as official measurer. Daniel was the Wildlife Biologist of the Year in 2016 and 2021, and he also served as a Stewardship Biologist in the Piedmont Region. He was an adventurous person who loved the outdoors and enjoyed his life to the fullest. He was a beekeeper, often seen selling his honey at the farmer’s market, and an active hiker. He had hiked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail. He loved to hunt and fish.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of thirty-seven years, Pamela Ray; daughter, Victoria Ray; father, Bobby Ray; brother, Roger Ray (Marilyn); sister, Terri Cloninger (Mike); nephew, Thomas Cloninger (Kaitlyn); niece, Tabetha Cloninger; and great-nephew, Cyrus Cloninger.

A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, August 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM in the Chapel of Heritage Funeral Service with Minister Tim Horton officiating. Interment will follow the service at the Big Tom Wilson Cemetery in Burnsville at 4:0 0 PM.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service on Friday, August 1, 2025 from 11 AM to 12 PM at Heritage Funeral Service.

The family would like to request that flowers be sent for the funeral in honor of Daniel’s memory, as he loved flowers.

Heritage Funeral Service & Crematory is assisting the Ray family.