Charay Deneen Spells

Charay Deneen Spells was born on August 8, 1964, in Indianapolis, IN, to Leroy Spells and Helen M. Coleman.

Charay graduated from Warren Central High School in 1982 and attended a community college for secretarial skills. Charay worked for the State of Indiana for thirty-three years, where she met some amazing people who her children would later affectionately call their aunts and siblings because she never met a stranger; everyone was adopted as a child, eventually.

Charay was full of life, and she embraced each day head-on. She never met a challenge she could not conquer, especially if it concerned her children. She was a strong, independent, and loyal person to those she loved.

Charay was the mother of two girls. She would tell anyone willing to hear she knew she was having two girls, and then she was done. No muss and no fuss. Her daughters were her “broke best friends”, but she shared everything with them. You rarely saw her without one of them, if not both of them, even as they became adults and did their own thing.

Charay’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving because it was about giving and fellowshipping with those she loved, and she loved to host and cook for her family. Everyone would leave with a plate, a hug, and a smile, ready for the following year.

Charay provided core memories for her children, nieces, and nephews. Whether it was making sure they had sparklers on the 4th of July, chili and wings with our scary movies on Halloween, her amazing cream turkey on Thanksgiving, or taking us shopping for Christmas presents to give to our loved ones. She always found a way to make sure we were having a great time and ensured we felt loved.

Even as adults, Charay was always there with a listening ear and advice if you needed it. The first to say she was proud of you, no matter how small or how large the accomplishment was. Charay had a giving nature with no judgment. She met everyone on their level and accepted them for who they were.

Charay was preceded in death by her father, Leroy Spells; brother, Daimione Mann; grandmother, Margaret H. Coleman; aunt, Anna Francis (Coleman) Parker; uncle, Maurice Coleman; cousin, Marshall “Bo” Parker; and nephew, DaMonte’ Roje Parker.

Charay received her wings and became our guardian angel on Friday, July 4, 2025 in Indianapolis, IN, at 4:03 a.m. Left to cherish Charay’s loving memory and spirit are her two daughters, Re’Knese “Rani” Taylor and Ke‘Rece “Reci” Taylor; mother, Helen M. Coleman; sister/cousins, Marquetta Navarro (Kurt), Alycia Spells (James), and Jeanette Riggs; nephews: Daimione Mann Jr., Martell Rayborn, Gentry Parker, Antoine “AJ” Parker II, and Avery Hoskins; nieces, Ayrrika Spells (Emmanuel), Mariah Parker, and Mya Parker; great-niece, Novah Evans; and extended family and friends who all held a special place in her heart.