Raymond "Ray" Richard Horbaty

Ray Horbaty passed away on September 16th, 2016 at Dogtooth Lake, out in the wilderness at the cabin.

He was born on December 8th, 1950 in Kenora, and will be deeply missed by his wife of 41 years Sandra, his daughter Jennifer and her husband Toby Elson, his son Jonathon and partner Jen Bauer, and his grandson Tiernan Elson.

Ray was predeceased by his parents, Nick and Mary, and is survived by his sister Linda. Ray loved living in Kenora where he could pursue his passion for fishing, hunting and exploring. He especially enjoyed ice-fishing and was very skilled at catching a lake trout with the most basic of equipment. A lifetime of fishing meant a lifetime of fish stories which close friends and family often heard him tell in his enthusiastic way.

Ray was a whiz with vehicles and motors. He repaired and revived many of them, particularly motorbikes, outboard motors, snowmobiles and neglected lawn mowers. This skill, along with his natural ability as a salesman, meant that many people visited Ray's garage over the years and much wheeling-and-dealing was done. Making a deal always entertained him.

Ray's early working years were spent with his uncle Fred Horbaty on the CPR, a job where he acquired a lot of his physical strength. After that he worked for a time at McLeod's store. Ray then went on to be a salesman at Eatons in Kenora for many years, doing a good job selling people what they needed and convincing them to buy things that maybe they didn't. After Eatons closed he worked in general maintenance for the Inn of the Woods and then for the Kenora Recreation Centre up until his retirement ten years ago.

Ray's hunting and fishing buddy later in life was his loyal dog Piper. She and Ray had many, many adventures together out in the bush. They loved all the same things, especially the hunting. Piper truly was man's best friend. Ray helped out a lot at the cabin he shared with his daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Toby during the past six seasons, fixing some things and building and improving others, chopping enough wood for many years to come, and of course fishing. His grandson Tiernan really enjoyed helping him with various projects at the cabin.

Grandpa always had fun ideas. Ray's courage, inventiveness and skill as an outdoorsman will always be remembered.

A time of visiting with family will be held in the lower hall of St. Alban's church on Saturday, September 24th from 2:00 to 4:00.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ray's memory to A Dog's Life or a charity of your choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.brownfuneralhomekenora.com.

BROWN FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTRE ENTRUSTED WITH ARRANGEMENTS.