Raymond Ellis Spivey

In Loving Memory of Raymond Ellis Spivey

November 24, 1937 – May 22, 2025

Descendant of Lizzie Bell Spivey, daughter of Friday Carter and Mary Morrow

Raymond Ellis Spivey, born in Forest, Mississippi, was called home on May 22, 2025, in Austin, Texas, at the age of 87. He was the son of Oliver Clifton Spivey and Callie Caroline Brantley, and the second youngest of twenty-two children.

Ray’s early life took him from Mississippi through several towns as he traveled with his cousin, eventually settling in Chicago and then Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was in Milwaukee that he met the love of his life, Jeanneen L. Spivey (née Skibbie). Together they built a life full of love and strength, raising their son Wayne Ellis Spivey and his siblings. When Jeanneen became terminally ill, Ray lovingly cared for her through her final days. He showed what it truly means to be a strong man—steadfast, loyal, and full of grace. Her loss never left him, and now, we believe, she was waiting to welcome him home with open arms.

Ray was a proud steelworker and an amateur boxer, and he carried a deep love for music—especially delta blues and country. His favorite artists included Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, and Albert King. He enjoyed both classic and modern country music. His harmonica was rarely out of reach, and it will be laid with him—a final tribute to the rhythm and joy he carried with him throughout his life.

He also had a lifelong passion for sports—especially boxing and baseball. Those were his two favorite pastimes, and they became a core part of his bond with Wayne. The two trained in boxing and played baseball together regularly. It wasn’t just about the games—it was about connection, trust, and love passed from father to son.

He was a quiet man, but his love ran deep. Ray served as the witness at Wayne and Jennifer Spivey’s courthouse wedding in Milwaukee—a moment filled with meaning. In his later years, he was cared for with devotion by Wayne, Jennifer, and his granddaughter Alexandria Spivey. He is also survived by grandson Vincent Ellis Spivey, step-grandson Christopher Mihm (son of his stepdaughter Charlene Strauss), and stepchildren Charles Strauss and Charlene Strauss, who were Jeanneen’s children from a previous marriage.

Ray’s roots trace back to Philadelphia, Mississippi, through his grandmother Lizzie Bell Spivey, daughter of Friday Carter and Mary Morrow—two individuals born into slavery who later became free and laid the foundation for generations that followed. Though Ray didn’t attend Carter family reunions due to mobility challenges, he remained connected through Wayne and Jennifer—the only known descendants of Lizzie Bell Spivey to attend in recent years.

In 2017, they met Cousin Ethel Ellis, her daughters Kearea Brady (née Ellis) and Ashley McDonald (née Ellis), and Kearea’s son Alijah. That moment sparked a heartfelt reconnection with the Carter side of the family. They have since attended reunions both on their own and alongside Kearea, her husband Alfred, and their sons Alijah and Andersen. Today, Jennifer and Wayne remain in close contact with Kearea, Ashley, and their families—as well as with Wayne’s extended family in Mississippi—helping to keep those ties strong across generations.

On the day Ray passed, a thunderstorm moved over the building—brief and powerful. His family took it as a sacred sign that the heavens were preparing to receive him. It was a moment full of awe, gratitude, and peace.

His life was full of love, music, and quiet strength. Though his body now rests, his memory lives on in every blues riff, every family story, and every bond he helped to build and sustain.

Raymond Spivey will be deeply missed and forever loved.

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