Funeral for Margaret Annette “Ann” Tomberlin Ray of Decatur, who passed away on July 11, 2026, will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at Southside Baptist Church in Decatur, with visitation from 10:00 am until 11:00 am, where her husband, the Rev. Joe Douglas Ray, was a longtime pastor, and she was involved in the music ministry almost forty years. Officiating will be the Rev. Jim Tomberlin, her nephew; Dr. Terry Smith Morgan, former vice-president of Judson College; the Rev. Eric Albright, pastor of Southside; and others. The family will receive friends at the church for one hour prior to the service, which will strictly conclude within the hour; followed by burial at Burningtree Memorial Gardens. Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle is assisting the family.
Born October 10, 1935, in Bonifay, Florida, while the family was living in what she considered her hometown of Geneva, Alabama, Ann was the youngest and last surviving of six children born to the late Rev. Foreman Wilson Tomberlin and Lona Helen McLean Tomberlin. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by sisters Bernice Tomberlin Durant (Rev. J. L.); Inez Tomberlin Phillips Locke (husbands Wayland Phillips and Elbert Locke); Nelma Tomberlin McLendon (Bill); Erline Tomberlin (who died in infancy); one brother, Maj. William Pierce “Bill” Tomberlin (wife Mary Jim Daniel Tomberlin, whom Ann considered a sister); and special lifelong friend Laurie Lynn Benson Morris of Geneva and Dothan. Survived by two sons: Mark Douglas Ray, a former Decatur city council member; Charles Tomberlin “Tommy” Ray, also of Decatur; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A longtime elementary music teacher in Decatur, Ann was chosen to oversee the two original magnet school music programs at Gordon-Bibb (now Banks-Caddell) and Westlawn (now Benjamin Davis). She also taught at West Decatur Elementary and the historic George Washington Carver School, both in Decatur; as well as schools in Sylacauga (B.B. Comer), Childersburg, and Talladega. She presided at the annual state convention after being elected as elementary division president of Alabama Music Educators Association.
Ann was a graduate of Geneva High School and Judson College, where she and her husband both served as longtime trustees and faithful recruiters. Both served on Judson’s trustee subcommittee for the granting of honorary degrees, providing opportunities to meet a diverse host of dignitaries ranging from former First Lady Barbara Bush to U.S. Congressman John Lewis. While a Judson student, Ann was a founding member and later president of Delta Omicron music sorority, a highlight of which was attending its national convention in Denver. While there, Ann and the Judson chapter of DO were recognized for having recently entertained a young Baptist pianist from Texas named Van Cliburn, not long before he would achieve international acclaim for having dazzled Russian audiences and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev amidst the pinnacle of The Cold War.
Ann also studied at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and spent a summer of college on the staff of First Baptist Church in Williston, Florida. After graduating from Judson, she began serving as music associate and pianist for First Baptist Church in Sylacauga where her pastor, Dr. William K. Weaver, would soon be chosen as the founding president of what is now University of Mobile. At Joe’s first fulltime pastorate, Eastern Valley Baptist in Bessemer, Ann led a fundraising drive by the adult choir to purchase a Hammond organ for the new sanctuary with S&H Green Stamps. In return, they elected her as church organist. Ann also served as pianist for Mignon Baptist Church in Sylacauga and, briefly in retirement, minister of music at Macedonia (now South Chapel Hill) Baptist in Decatur. Over the years she directed, sang, and played for countless weddings; was active in Alpha Delta Kappa, Decatur Music Club, Morgan County Retired Teachers Association, Daughters of the American Revolution, and was an honorary life member of Decatur Culture Club.
At Southside, Ann served as a Sunday School teacher and church pianist for over two decades; oversaw the purchase of handbells; served on numerous committees; and helped launch a graded children’s choir ministry which, in its heyday, involved as many as one hundred participants weekly. At the 1977 Pt. Mallard Prayer Chapel dedication, a project spearheaded by Southside member Jeannie Edgil McAfee, Ann accompanied the congregation’s fifty-voice combined youth and single adult choir, joined by special guest Dean Jones, on the Spirit of America stage. For ten years she was pianist for Mary Love Eyster’s Community Bible Study, held at Southside.
Active pallbearers will be Mike Bowling, Mike Casey, Michael Clemons, Tommie Dunlap, J.B. Dye, John Eyster Jr., Paul Garner, Jack Holbert, Heath Holdbrooks, David Holmes, Jerry James, Bobby Jett Jr., Steve McNutt, Dr. Michael Morgan, Jim Neill, Daniel Ray (nephew), Charles Seifried, Greg Shelton, Jimmy Ray Smith, Robby Smith, and Sam Ward.
Honorary pallbearers will be Lamar Barkley, Joe Dan Benson, Dr. Forrest Bryant, Dr. Hal Higdon, Dr. Micah Howard, Richard Lee, Dr. Mickey Maddox, Gay Blackburn Maloney, June Odom, Tom Pangle, Larry Sturges, Verlon Whaley, the staff of Riverside Senior Living, and her former caregivers Tracey Burgess and Joyce Free. The family requests that memorials be directed to the music ministry of Southside Baptist Church, 709 9th St. SE, Decatur, AL 35601; or the Decatur City Schools Foundation, Box 1224, Decatur, AL 35602.
