Janice E. Ray

Janice E. Ray left those she loved on March 21, 2026, two weeks shy of her 96th birthday.  

Mom was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 3, 1930, to Arthur William Ray and Ruth Inez Ford Ray—their second child after Mom’s beloved brother, Arthur W. Ray, Jr, affectionately known as “Bub.” The family resided in Helper, Utah from 1933-1939, where Grandpa worked for the D&RG railroad. The family relocated to Salt Lake and enjoyed living in their 15th and 15th neighborhood home.  Mom attended East High School, a year of college at BYU, and then married John Carlos Hill, Jr. in 1949.  Together they reared three daughters, Jannie, Jerrie, and Jorie.   The couple then divorced and Mom became a single mother entering the workforce, painfully aware of her lack of preparation for work outside the home.  

Determined to provide for her girls, she found work as a bookkeeper for a succession of small area businesses.  In about 1979, Mom secured a position in the Utah State Budget Office, where she worked for several years. She then transferred to the Clerk’s office at the Utah Supreme Court, and later to the office of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals before retiring in 1995.  Afterward, Mom continued caring for her aging mother until Grandma’s passing in November, 2001. 

Mother then purchased a home in the Trimble Creek community, where she thrived until 2018 at which point she and Jorie purchased a South Jordan home together.  

The family would like to express our gratitude to Dignity Home Health and Hospice’s professionals, whose services were excellent and invaluable, with special thanks to Andi Hemenway, Rosa Abanto, Nichole Christensen and Twig Larkin. We also extend our love and appreciation to the following C.N.A.’s
who provided additional hours of professional care, love and friendship: Sherri Oliver, Michelle Garcia and Amelia Renteria. Mom became fond of each and every one of these caring professionals.

Mom is survived by her three daughters: Jannie Spader, Jerrie Newton (Mike) and Jorie Hill (Ed Serrano); Jerrie’s sons: Lonnie Newton (Larissa), and their daughter Kinley; and Ellery Newton (Kristan Burtoft), and Ed’s children: Natasha (and her children, Dylan and Ryker Oram), Terra (Eric Averett), and Rico (Marlo Vigil) and their son, Zayden.  Mom was preceded in death by her parents, Bub, and all the dogs and cats Mom adored over the years.  

Per her wishes, no funeral will take place.  A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, May 11, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., located at 1247 W. Alta Creek Circle, South Jordan, Utah.