By Andrew Kutt, Founder of Oneness-Family School
It is with a very heavy heart that I share that our beloved teacher Madhavi Sharon Ray passed away peacefully on May 2, 2026, with her dear sister Suzanne at her bedside.
Yesterday, our third graders planted a cherry tree at Echo Hill Outdoor School in honor of Madhavi’s life and her longstanding commitment to the partnership between Oneness-Family School and EHOS. It was a beautiful tribute to someone who devoted her life to nurturing children and cultivating peace.
Madhavi dedicated her life to teaching young children. After graduating from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, she taught for 17 years before accepting a position at the newly opened Oneness-Family School (OFS) in 1990. For the next 32 years at OFS, Madhavi had an enormous impact on generations of students through her inspiring teaching style, deeply caring attitude, and unwavering commitment to civil rights and world peace. She was a positive role model for her students every day of those 32 years.
In addition to the gifts she shared in her classroom, Madhavi was instrumental in helping OFS become known as a center of international harmony and peace that attracted world-famous visitors such as Muhammad Ali, Graham Nash, Riane Eisler, Christine Carter, and U.S. Congressmen Tim Ryan and Elijah Cummings, among many others. Each year, dozens of international ambassadors and dignitaries attend the school’s United Nations Day, an event Madhavi helped shape and lead for more than three decades.
Wherever Madhavi went, she made a deep and lasting impression with her smile and laughter, her genuine curiosity, and the pure love in her heart.
Two celebrations of Madhavi’s life are planned: Saturday, June 27th, at 1:30 p.m. at St. John’s Norwood Church in Bethesda, MD; and Saturday, July 11th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at The Villages of Plott Creek Pavilion in Waynesville, NC.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oneness-Family School “Madhavi Ray Scholarship Fund” by mailing a contribution to Oneness-Family School, 6701 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, or by visiting www.onenessfamily.org.
