Ray was born in 1968 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has lived here all of his life. He graduated from Living Word Academy High School in 1986 and attended one year at Oklahoma Christian College. He then transferred to Central State University, now the University of Central Oklahoma, and completed his Bachelor of Science in Funeral Service in 1990. He became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in March 1991, studied and received his insurance license, and gained the much-needed knowledge to pass on the advantages of pre-planning to his friends and neighbors.