Obit – Mr. Ray Dias
Mr. Ray Dias age 74 of Alexandria was discovered deceased at his Nashville Highway home on Thursday evening October 16, 2025. He was pronounced deceased by the Dekalb Medical Examiner’s office at 9:14 p.m.
A memorial Celebration of his Life will be observed on Saturday afternoon October 25th at 3 p.m. with his friend, classmate, and Sunday School teacher, Jack McCall officiating. There will be a private interment in his parent’s plot in the Beasley-Brooks section at the Dixon Springs Cemetery.
The Dias family will receive friends at Sanderson in Carthage only on Saturday October 25th from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.
The youngest of three sons, he was born Ray Douglas Dias on the family’s Beasley Bend Lane farm in The Riddleton Community on August 17, 1951 and was the son of the late Charlie Wilson Dias who died May 1, 2005 at the age of 91 and his mother, Bernice Dalton Wilburn Dias who died two weeks after her husband on May 14, 2005 at the age of 88.
A brother, who was six years older than Ray, Julius “Peanut” Dias, preceded him in death at the age of 69 on October 15, 2014.
Mr. Dias was a member of the 1969 graduating class at Smith County High School where he was an outstanding basketball star as #42. His major was mathematics and his senior year he was the co-captain of the “Owls” basketball squad and was a member of the Pep Club all four years and the “C” Club his junior and senior year. His senior year he was voted by his classmates as the boy with the “Best School Spirit”. He was a member of the Latin Club his freshman year and was a member of the Junior Play cast.
Mr. Dias was saved as a teenager and was baptized into the full fellowship of the Maces Hill Missionary Baptist Church.
He retired from the Yellow Freight Corporation in 2015 with over twenty years of service.
His favorite past time was riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and collecting Harley-Davidson memobaralia.
He is survived by his special friend, Sheena Swann Rittenberry of Gordonsville, daughter, Rion Dias Rigsby and husband Brandon of the Kempville Community; son, Seth Dias and wife Stacey of the Defeated Creek Community; eight grandchildren, Brennan Rigsby of Knoxville, Averie Flatt and husband Isaac of the Lancaster Community, Clayton Rigsby of Lebanon, Reagan Dias of the Defeated Creek Community, Cohen Rigsby of the Kempville Community, Bryant Dias, Preslie Brooks and Kennadie Brooks all of the Defeated Creek Community.
The Dias family requests memorials be made to the Smith County High School Boys Basketball Program.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
