Ray passed away peacefully in Port Alberni on Thursday, February 6th, 2020 at the age of 85. Predeceased by brother Bob and sister Shirley, Ray was survived by his loving wife Margaret; children Kerry (Candace) and Kevin; grandchildren Thomas, Megan, Lindsey, Dakota, Ryley and Dustyn; great grandchildren Harlyn, Kayah and Kinsley-Ray; siblings Jack, Joan, Ken and Donna; as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Ray's family moved to the coast from Saskatchewan in the early 1940's, and purchased a small farm on McTavish Road in Sidney. In his teens, he crewed on boats contracted to the Navy, searching for unexploded mines and torpedos up and down the coast. Ray apprenticed as an airplane mechanic at the Victoria Flying Club, then moved to Campbell River (with wife Marg and sons Kerry and Kevin) to work for BC Airlines. In the early 1960's, Ray started with the Flying Tankers, and he and Marg bought a place at Sproat Lake. He flew as Chief Flight Engineer on the Mars water bombers, as well as maintaining them when they were back on the ground. Ray left the Flying Tankers in the early 1970's, and went to work for McCully Aviation (later Pacific Rim Airlines) in Alberni. After the airline shut down in the 1980's, he started with Alliford Bay Logging in Nanaimo, maintaining their airplane and trucks. He 'retired' around 2005, but continued maintaining private airplanes for a few friends, right up until this year.
Ray loved boats, and always had at least one (in the summers, he used to commute to work at the Flying Tankers in his 12' runabout). In 2007 he went all out, and purchased a 44' Taiwanese trawler in the States, and cruised it back to Alberni. Although he made many trips on it out to the Broken Group, everyone knew he was happiest when he was working on it, getting it ready for the next big trip!
Ray lived a great life, doing all kinds of interesting things along the way, and not really worrying about being conventional. But more importantly, he will be remembered as the ultimate grandfather (and uncle). He and Marg doted on generations of nieces, nephews, grandkids and great-grandkids, spoiling them rotten. Nobody will forget the summers spent at the lake...
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