William George Ray

William G. Ray, 94, of Bakersfield passed away on September 25, 2023.

Bill was born December 8, 1928, to George and Jane Ray. When Bill was six years old, he and his family, with all their belongings in their old car, came from Chickasha, Oklahoma to Fresno, California during the Dust Bowl.

Bill came from a large family. Preceding him in death were his two sisters Barbara Jane Ray and Elizabeth Ray as well as brothers Robert and Kenneth Ray.

Coming from a poor family and living through the depression were motivators that pushed him to strive for success. In high school Bill worked for a drugstore and delivered packages and small freight.

He graduated from Fresno Technical High School in 1948. During his high school years, he met the love of his life, Helen Lucille Lawrence. They especially enjoyed skating together. Soon after, they married and started a family, and became proud parents to Charlene, Deborah, Bill Jr., and Jeanette.

The start of his entrepreneurship began in Fresno with his first tile company, CasRay Tile. In early 1970, Bill moved to Bakersfield, where he started his own tile business, Bill Ray Tile and became a driving force in the tile industry and designed tiles for several tile factories in California. He would import tile from around the world and also supported American made tile companies. His love for skating remained true when he purchased the Starlight Skating Rink, where he also sponsored many youth sports over the years. Bill was proud of his community and supported it through donations to many charities, schools, car clubs and various organizations. Bill also loved to sponsor kids in the FFA and their animals for many years.

As the years passed and he became more established in Bakersfield, Bill became known for his love of antique cars, as he often collected and displayed cars that brought back memories of his youth. He frequently attended car shows, participated in parades, and later hosted car club functions at his personal car museum

Bill is survived by his daughter, Deborah Ray, adopted son Humberto Ray Quiroz, daughter-in-law Louise Ray, son-in-law Cliff Mayer, son-in-law Rusty Carter, grandchildren Kristy Kennedy, Nicole Gutierrez, Dylan Carter, Jennifer Nightengale, Grecia Counts, Fabian Quiroz, eight great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers: Fabian Quiroz, David Gates, Juan Arroyo, Rusty Carter, Victor Tamayo, Brent Wells, James Bryan, and Steve Hofeditz.

The Family would like to give special thanks to the following for all their devotion and loving care: Joyce Simmons, Carole Caridad, Yvonne Claudia Ramirez. They all gave Bill the very best care and comfort that he needed on a daily basis, they were more than caregivers, they were like family to him.

We wanted to bring up an alternative way to honor Bill Ray, Instead of sending flowers, we thought it would be meaningful to make a donation to a charity of your liking. By doing so, we can make a positive impact in the lives of others, just as he did.