After nine years as a firefighter and medic with the Philadelphia Fire Department, Kelvin Ray was ready to make a change.
“He wanted his own business,” said Taylor Kelly, his girlfriend of four years. “That was his goal. That was his dream. He didn’t want to work for anyone.”
Kelvin had enrolled in a building trade program at Orleans Tech to learn how to fix up houses, and his start date was March 5 of this year.
But he wouldn’t get the opportunity to reach his goal. On Oct. 3, 2018, he was shot and killed in the Fox Chase section of Northeast Philadelphia, a block from his home. He was 35 years old.
From left to right: Kelvin, his brother Norman, his cousin Siani, and his twin brother Kenny.
Kelvin risked his life daily for others, said his cousin Siani Jubliee, and this isn’t something anyone ever would have expected to happen.
Taylor added: “This was a huge shock. It was very heartbreaking.”
They remembered Kelvin as family-oriented, funny and outgoing, very respectful and very well-mannered.
“There was never a time when he didn’t work and wasn’t there to support this family,” Taylor said. “He was the backbone of the family.”
Kelvin was born Aug. 19, 1983 to Selena and Norman Ray Sr. The family was living in Korea at the time, where his father, who was in the military, was stationed. Kelvin had an identical twin brother, Kenny, as well as two other brothers, Saleem and Norman, and two sisters, Sharquita and Kimmie.
Kelvin was four when his family moved back to Philadelphia. He later joined his mother in Houston, Texas, where he graduated from high school.
Kelvin with his daughter and son.
His father joined the Philadelphia Fire Department after his military service, eventually becoming a chief. After high school, Kelvin returned to Philly to attend the Philadelphia Fire Academy to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“His dad was a strong mentor in his life,” Siani said.
Over the years Kelvin was stationed at various engine companies, most recently with Engine 11 at 6th and South.
“He was always the first firefighter in every fire,” Taylor said. “He was the leader.”
When he wasn’t working, spending time with his kids was his number-one priority. He had two children, a 7-year-old son, Khamaj, and a 5-year-old daughter, Kiyamah. He had also been a father figure to Taylor’s daughter since she was an infant.
“He was the best father figure in the world, no exaggeration,” Siani said. “My cousin worshipped the ground his kids walked on. He and his daughter would sing songs and ‘Pretty Bird’ was their favorite song, and he called his daughter ‘pretty bird.’ They just had a special bond.”
Kelvin with his girlfriend Taylor and her daughter.
“We were always on the move with the kids,” said Taylor, who shared a home with Kelvin. “He’d wake up and say, ‘Let’s go here’ whether it’s down the shore or wherever, and that’s where we’d go.”
Taylor spoke to Kelvin shortly before he died. He called to say he was on his way home, then she started hearing the sounds of sirens. No arrests have been made.
The City of Philadelphia is offering up to $20,000 as a reward for anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Kelvin’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
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