Carma Jo Rayburn

Carma Jo (Ray) Rayburn, 90, of Rainbow City, AL, passed away on the morning of August 26, 2026. She was born on July 1, 1936, in Piedmont, AL, and was the daughter of William Foster Ray and Beulah Stewart Ray. She lost her father to Rheumatic Heart Disease at the age of four and spent her childhood years in Piedmont as a member of Piedmont Cumberland Presbyterian Church with her mother, grandparents, and her older brother, Paul. She graduated from Piedmont High School in 1954 and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Jacksonville State University in 1958, with a concentration in piano, followed by a Master’s Degree in secondary education from the University of Alabama in 1963. She married her husband, James (Jim) Gerald Rayburn, in 1959 and spent the majority of her life working as a schoolteacher. She worked at a number of schools in Alabama, including Etowah High School, Roanoke High School, Cordova High School, and Tuscaloosa Jr. High School, where she taught various subjects, but especially English, Chorus, and PE. She eventually relocated to Fayette, Alabama, in 1969, when Jim became the first Dean of Instruction at the newly formed Albert P. Brewer State Junior College. She remained in Fayette to raise her family, returning to teaching the second grade at Fayette Elementary School in 1978, and ultimately retiring from teaching along with Jim in 1995. While in Fayette, she was a longtime attendee of Fayette First United Methodist Church and the Music Study Club. In addition to teaching, Carma maintained her love of music and played the piano regularly both in and out of her home and at church. She often accompanied her husband, Jim, on the trumpet and played in many musical groups through the years. Jim’s preferred musical style was Dixieland jazz and, after retirement, Carma and Jim played for many years in the Guys and Dolls Dixieland Band. Carma was well known for her sight-reading ability on the piano, and she was often recruited to tackle the more challenging piano scores. Indeed, she was widely known for playing the Hallelujah Chorus during Easter Church Services for many years. Carma and Jim moved to the Regency Pointe facility in Rainbow City in 2014 to be closer to family. She spent almost twelve years as a Regency Pointe resident and made a habit of meeting all her fellow residents, especially new arrivals, as well as all staff members. Rare was the person on the grounds who did not know her by name. She frequently accompanied Jim on his trumpet solos during Regency Pointe church services until his death in 2018. She also played piano for Monday hymn singing sessions until her own infirmities curtailed many of her outside activities. Carma was preceded in death by her parents, William Foster Ray and Beulah Louise (Stewart) Ray, her loving husband of 59 years, James Gerald Rayburn, and her beloved brother, Paul Davis (Forrest) Ray. She is survived by her two sons: Joseph Scott (Angela) Rayburn of Rainbow City, AL, and Seth David (Nicole) Rayburn of Athens, AL; her four precious grandchildren, Joseph Scott Rayburn, Jr., Joanna Salome Rayburn, Carter David Rayburn, and Margaret Elizabeth Rayburn, and her nephew Robert Shannon (Cynthia) Ray of Piedmont, AL. She was blessed by several superb in-home caregivers who assisted her for several years, including Molly Battles, Dana Daughdrill, Sam Entrekin, Lisa Hester, and Luanne Scales, with whom she bonded during her many medical trials late in life. We wish to thank the staff at Regency Pointe, including Belinda, Julia, Debbie, Dr. Carl Uy, and the many other staff members whom she befriended during her residence there. We also wish to thank the staff of ACG Hospice including Kelsey, Chaplain Matt, Robert, Dr. Jason Junkin, and many others who cared for her in her final year. A celebration of her life will be held at Thompson Funeral Home in Piedmont, AL, on Saturday, September 5th, at 11:00 AM, with visitation to be held one hour prior, starting at 10:00 AM. A brief graveside service will follow at Goshen Valley Cemetery. Donations may be made in her memory to the Piedmont Cumberland Presbyterian Church and to the Caring Angels Ministry of the First United Methodist Church of Gadsden. Carma was the epitome of a genteel Southern lady from a now-fading generation with her innate sense of propriety, courtesy, and love of neighbor. She reflected the light of the Divine in her every interaction, and she will always be remembered for her genuine concern for the well-being of others and the motherly affection she showered on all who had the joy of knowing her.

Carma Jo Rayburn

July 1, 1936 - August 26, 2026