Shirley Ray

SHIRLEY DEAN CARSON RAY

1933- 2015  

Shirley Carson Ray, 82, who recently celebrated 50 years operating Silverado Ballet School in Napa, died at home on Thursday July 16, 2015 surrounded by family.

She was married for 61 years to Charles Ray, who she met as a young teenager. Charlie's parents had purchased the Carson family home in Fresno--where Shirley was born in the front bedroom January 12, 1933. They met when she was visiting friends in the neighborhood. Family lore has it that he slammed the door on her while she was trick-or-treating--her excuse to meet him--at 13, a little old to be trick or treating he thought.  Shirley and Charlie soon became close.   They stayed good friends off and on throughout their time at Roosevelt high school.

While a young girl Shirley was always interested in dance.  She studied at Severance Ballet School in Fresno under Byron Kay.   As soon as she finished high school she moved to San Francisco and began classes with San Francisco Ballet.  Soon she was asked to join the Ballet Company.  She also danced with San Francisco Opera where she was on contract for several years.   She spoke often of the thrill of being on stage and feeling the music of the orchestra and chorus wash over her during the operas.   The Ballet and Opera experiences in San Francisco were high points of her life.

When she was with San Francisco Ballet and Charlie was in the Marine Corps they decided to marry.   They picked Christmas Day since the Marine Corps was not flexible in giving Charlie time for such things.   It was 1953 and they were both 20 years old.

They had five children:   Karen Ray of Manhattan Beach; Daniel Ray of Linden, Michigan, Alicia Ray of Lincoln, California; Sabrina Newsome of Roseville, and David Ray of Roseville.   There are 9 grandchildren:   Jessamyn Katz, Ariel Katz, Devin Newsome, Cullen Newsome, Quinton Barnett, Prestin Barnett, Carson Oaks, Dillon Ray, and Ethan Ray.

After their move to Napa in 1961 Shirley began teaching neighborhood children ballet in her living room while on the search for a suitable location for a ballet school.   In 1965 she found such a place on Wilson Street and she began her school, Silverado Ballet School, in September of that year.  

Beginning in 1974 she began taking her advanced students, The Silverado Ballet Troupe, on international performance tours to support charitable causes.   The first and most frequent destination was Iwanuma, Japan,  Napa's Sister City in Japan.   Tours also included China, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, Australia, and New Zealand.  Her most recent tour, December 2014 – January 2015, was to charity locations in the Dominican Republic. 

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday July 24 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Napa--the Methodist Church is still closed for renovation--followed immediately by a reception. Viewing at Tulocay Funeral Home is on Thursday July 23, 6-9 pm. Online guestbook at www.tulocaycemetery.org.  Donations in lieu of flowers suggested to Compassion International or Mentoring Today, which was started by a former student.

 Service Information