Dezaray Olmstead

In Loving Memory

Dezaray M. Olmstead

July 13, 1978 – October 9, 2025

“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

Dezaray’s love knew no limits. She laughed with you, never at you. She was calm in the storm, brave in every battle, and kind to every soul — human or stray — that crossed her path.

Born on July 13, 1978, in Longview, Texas, Dezaray carried the warmth of Texas sunshine wherever she went. Her heart was boundless, her compassion endless, and her presence unforgettable.

She dedicated her life to caring for others — both people and animals. Whether working alongside her sister in Texas at Guaranteed Bug Control helping families solve pest and wildlife problems, or showing love and kindness to hospice patients in Illinois, Dezaray lived to make life better for those around her.

She found joy in the simple things — tending to her flower beds, decorating her home for every holiday, cooking her famous cheesy potatoes, calzones, and creamy alfredo, and filling bellies (and hearts) of every stray cat that found her doorstep. Her love showed up in the smallest acts that made the biggest difference.

Her greatest joy, though, was her children — Nathan Allen, Austin, Mikayla, and Zayden — the light of her life and the home of her heart. Everything she did began and ended with them. Her love for family was the center of her world, and she lived every day to make sure they knew it.

Her visit to Texas earlier this year for her sister’s wedding was one of the happiest times of her life — a trip filled with laughter, love, and the feeling of home that she cherished deeply.

Dezaray will be forever missed by her children; her loving partner of over seven years, Alejandro Gutierrez; her parents, Nathan McClain Sr. and Becky Jones; grandmother Bebe Jones; her siblings, Bionca Sherrod, Nathan (Danielle) McClain Jr., Jade (Brandon) Curtis, and Amanda (Brian) Bush; and her nieces Annabelle, Sophia, Willow, and Nova. She also leaves behind her beloved cats — Ringo, Cecilia, and Alley — who were her constant companions. She is preceded in death by her grandfather, Chester Dee Jones Sr.

Cremation rites were accorded at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory in Rockford, Illinois. Dezaray will return home to Texas to be laid to rest beneath her favorite tree — a peaceful place that reflects her beauty, strength, and everlasting love.

Though our hearts ache with loss, her love remains everywhere — in laughter, in memories, in every blooming flower, and in every gentle act of kindness.

“I carry your heart with me; I carry it in my heart.”

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the GoFundMe “In Loving Memory of Dezaray Olmsted”, to help bring her home and honor her memory. Link also listed below.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-dezaray-olmstead