The Secret Life of Bees

T. Ray (Terrence Ray) is Lily's father, though Lily cannot bring herself to call him "daddy." He is a poor excuse for a father, abusive and unloving. He has turned bitter after the death of his wife, Deborah, and he often takes out his anger on Lily. T. Ray's upbringing is a mystery in the novel, but he owns a peach farm. He employs Rosaleen to assist in taking care of the Owens household. Lily's job is to sell peaches for him at a roadside stand, though the customers are few and far between. August tells Lily of a time when Lily's mother gushed about how wonderful T. Ray was. Lily ultimately realizes that T. Ray must have had a great love for her mother, and that when she left, he developed ill will. At the end of the novel, he realizes that keeping Lily in his house would just remind him of Deborah, so he leaves her with the Boatwrights.