Cover photo for Christie Wray's Obituary
Christie Wray Profile Photo

Christie Wray

March 12, 1951 — December 22, 2024

Roanoke

Christie Wray

Christie Wray died December 22, 2024 at age 73 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

Christie was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who loved to laugh and could never pass up a good bargain. As a school teacher and librarian, she not only taught countless children to read, but also helped them to love reading.

Christie was born on March 12, 1951 in Elizabeth City, N.C., to Richard and Pauline Paulos. She grew up in Norfolk, Va., and relocated to Roanoke, Va., in the 1970s after graduating from Virginia Tech. Not long after beginning her teaching career, Christie met Paul Wray through friends, and the two married in 1978.

Their house in Southwest Roanoke County became their home base and the stomping grounds for their two children, Lindsey and Luke. Between slicing oranges for Luke’s soccer games and driving Lindsey to piano lessons, Christie continued teaching and later received her certification as a school librarian. At Raleigh Court and Moneta elementary schools and Cave Spring High School, Christie introduced students to beloved books in the library and lent an ear when the kids needed someone to listen.

In her spare time, Christie enjoyed hunting for treasures at yard sales and secondhand stores, walking with Paul at Garst Mill Park, and eating too much popcorn while watching movies at the Grandin Theatre. She always found time to cheer on Luke at tennis matches and patiently listen to Lindsey’s band concerts. Christie’s love for her children — and later her grandchildren — was unwavering.

Christie orchestrated several memorable trips for her family, including to the western United States and later to Alaska. Whether dodging mosquitos near Grand Teton National Park, shivering in the chilly mornings after tent camping at Yellowstone, or donning a moose hat in Anchorage, Alaska, Christie was up for making memories and being silly — sometimes both at once.

In recent years, Christie and Paul enjoyed canoeing, playing ping pong and games with friends, and hosting bluebirds in their backyard. Christie’s generosity and kindness of spirit was always evident, whether she was helping less fortunate children through Central Church of the Brethren or caring for cats in downtown Roanoke. She loved ice cream and will always hold a sweet spot in our hearts.

Christie is survived by Paul, her husband of 46 years; Lindsey, her daughter, and Ryan, her son-in-law; Luke, her son, and Rachel, her daughter-in-law; and Lauren, Lincoln, and Austin, her three grandchildren. Other survivors include her sister, Cathy Sawyer, and many relatives and special friends, such as Wayne and Vicky Chapman, Nancy Reichard, and Paula Poston.

Christie’s family wishes to thank all those who visited, called, or kept Christie in their thoughts and prayers in recent years as she endured a long stint with Alzheimer’s disease.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 28 at Central Church of the Brethren, 416 Church Ave. in Roanoke. The family will receive visitors at the church following the service.

Arrangements by Conner-Bowman Funeral Home 62 VA Market Place Drive, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Christie Wray, please visit our flower store.

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