Obituary of Lora Lee McCray

It is with great privilege and honor we inform you that Lora McCray escaped her earthly bonds on Monday, August 30th, 2021. She passed peacefully in her sleep at 84 years young surrounded by her loved ones. She is preceded in death by her first husband, Russell Hileman (1997), and her second husband, Jim McCray (2018), and is survived by her three children, TJ Marsh, Darren Hileman, and Janie Hileman, and eight grandchildren.

Our mother lived an incredible life and touched the lives of so many. In her early years, she was an avid tennis player, snow skier, and scuba diver. Her zest for life literally led her around the world. In the Bahamas, she joined a wild dolphin research expedition. On one of her many trips to West Africa, she became a ceremonial Chief in the Makari Gbanti Chiefdom in Sierra Leone.

Throughout her life, she gave back to the community. After San Jose received her Sister City of Okayama, Japan, Lora volunteered with the Japanese Friendship Garden in Kelley Park. She was a member of the San Jose Zoological Society and worked as a guide there in the 1970s. Additionally, she was one of the very first volunteers to be trained as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and helped a child navigate the legal system. After moving to Tucson, she enjoyed teaching water aerobics and also spent many years as a docent at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum.

Lora was instrumental in forging an adventurous spirit in her children and grandchildren. She had an amazing life and experienced many wonderful journeys, and is now onto the next chapter, traveling to the other side.