Chattanooga, Tennessee: Kiera L. Ray Remembered Following Her Passing at 31
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE — Kiera L. Ray, 31, passed away on December 24, 2025, at a local healthcare facility in Chattanooga. She was born on October 11, 1994, in Chattanooga to Eric Levon Ray and Saavardra Ray.
Kiera was a graduate of Howard High School and spent several years working in the fast-food and retail industries. Her employment included positions at Wendy’s and Krystal, as well as work at retail shoe stores such as Finish Line and City Gear. Family members said she was known for her dedication to her work and her commitment to providing for those she loved. She was of the Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Valarie Ray; her uncle, Darrius Brown; and her best friend, Tyquiesha Dansby.
Kiera leaves behind her father, Eric L. Ray; her mother, Saavardra Ray; two sisters, Erica Ray and LaChiara “Shay” Ray; her daughter, Kehlani Ray Mitchell; her nephew, Dior Ray; and her niece, Zaria McKelvin.
She is also survived by her grandparents, Judine and Gregory Brown, Douglas Sutton, and Clarence Ray; her uncles, Clarence Ray Jr., Corey Ray, Michael Ray, and Lawrence Sutton; her aunts, Katrina Brown, Aileen Paris, and Mary Freeman; and the father of her child, Quinterrius Mitchell.
Public viewing is scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at John P. Franklin Funeral Home. A funeral service will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2026, in the chapel of the funeral home.
