Ellen Christine Cook Bray
December 14, 1932 – February 23, 2026
Ellen Christine Cook Bray passed away peacefully on February 23, 2026, at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond, VA, at the age of 93.
Born in Kentucky and raised in Galax, VA, she was the daughter of Rudolph Henry Cook and Rose Irene Boyer Cook. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dr. Stuart Thomas Bray; her son, Stuart T. Bray Jr.; her siblings; and her parents.
She studied at the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before graduating from Concord College in Athens, WV, with a degree in Art and Philosophy.
In 1953, she married Dr. Stuart T. Bray of Richmond, and the couple spent their first year in Germany, where she developed a lifelong appreciation for art museums and galleries.
The family later lived in White Sulphur Springs, WV, where Dr. Bray practiced radiology at The Greenbrier Clinic and raised their four children in neighboring Lewisburg, WV. During those years Ellen served as President of the Old White Garden Club, was active in the Greenbrier Valley Medical Auxiliary and St. James Episcopal Women in Lewisburg, and served on Governor Arch Moore’s Executive Committee representing Greenbrier and Fayette counties.
Following a move to Charlottesville when Dr. Bray joined the faculty of the University of Virginia Medical Center, Ellen served as a committee chairman for the Faculty Wives Association.
Upon Dr. Bray’s retirement, the couple settled along the Rappahannock River in Virginia’s Northern Neck. There she became deeply involved in the region’s cultural life, serving as President of the Rappahannock Art League and later as Vice President and Presenters Chairman of the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts for sixteen years, where she created and managed a concert series for eight seasons.
She also served on the Governor’s Commission for Citizen Empowerment and Welfare Reform and on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. She volunteered for twelve years as a docent at Historic Christ Church and served fifteen years on the altar guild at Grace Episcopal Church.
After Dr. Bray’s death, she moved to Westminster Canterbury in Richmond in 2008. There she continued painting in the Art Lab and served for nine years as curator of the Main Street Gallery, organizing rotating exhibitions featuring the artwork of fellow residents.
She was active in heritage organizations, serving as past President of the Richmond Chapter of the Virginia Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century and holding leadership roles in the Commonwealth Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In recognition of her exceptional volunteer service, she received Westminster Canterbury Richmond’s Laurel Award in 2024.
She is survived by her children, Robert Emmett Bray, Catherine Hampton Bray, and Sarah Elizabeth Wright Bray; her grandchildren, Sarah Christine Stack and Peter James Bray Stack; and many extended family members and friends.
She will be remembered for her devotion to the arts, her steady civic leadership, and her deep love of family.
Interment will take place at Historic Christ Church, Irvington, VA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Westminster Canterbury Foundation.
