Dana E. Wray

Dana E. Wray, 72, of Prairie Village, KS, passed away on Feb. 19, 2026. Born on Sept. 14, 1953, in Kansas City, MO, Dana’s life was defined by her unyielding resilience, positivity, and faith in the face of many hardships.

Dana attended high school in Treynor, IA and Tonganoxie, KS, before graduating from Orange High School in Waterloo, IA in 1971. She went to college at Northwest Missouri State University where she pursued a B.S. in education. However, tragedy struck prior to the start of Dana’s senior year; on July 26, 1974, Dana was a passenger in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair for the remaining 51 years of her life. Always with a strong will to live, Dana underwent dozens of operations and was in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation centers many times. For five years after her accident, her family took on the responsibility for her care; eventually, she went to live in a long-term nursing facility. Amidst these challenges, Dana remarkably finished her degree from Northwest in 1976 and obtained her Master of Social Work in 1982 from the University of Kansas.

A longtime advocate for disability rights, Dana worked closely with the organization now known as Kansas Advocates for Better Care (KABC) after she faced eviction from her nursing home in 1978 due to her significant care needs. Dana’s story was covered in the press and was one of many that sparked the passage of nursing home reforms. Her continued advocacy with KABC in the 1980s helped pass the landmark 1989 law that allowed Dana and thousands of other Kansans with disabilities to live independently and manage their own care.

Dana was preceded in death by her devoted mother and lifelong caregiver, Elaine Wray, who passed away just one week prior on February 12, 2026. She was also preceded in death by her father, Ronald Wray; and her sister, Lori Wray Shattuck.

Dana is survived by her step-mother, Janet Wray; her siblings, David (Susan) Wray, Michael (Brandie) Wray, and Karen (Stan) Williams; her nieces and nephews, Nick (Sara) Ryan, Frank Ryan, David (Steffany) Wray, Mary (Nate) Greenwood, Lauren Wray, Michael Wray, Leah Wray, Emily Hutchison, Lindsay Wray, and Cooper Bailey; and a dedicated staff of caregivers.

Combined services for Dana and Elaine will be held at Amos Family Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, on February 25. Visitation will begin at 1:00 PM, followed by the funeral at 2:00 PM. A graveside service will take place at Glenwood Cemetery in Basehor, Kansas, immediately thereafter. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Kansas Advocates for Better Care or Independence, Inc. in Dana’s memory.