Ray was born Oct. 14, 1942, in Eugene. He was a graduate of Corvallis High School and Oregon State
University, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. While in college, Ray played baseball for the Beavers, was active in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and served in the Oregon National Guard.
Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, and trained to be a pilot. Ray flew numerous missions in Vietnam, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after his plane was hit by enemy fire, and he was able to fly the aircraft and crew back to safety. Returning to the United States, he served as a missile crew commander in the Midwest.
Upon leaving the service, Ray worked in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry in San Diego, Calif., where he was general manager for Western Marine Refrigeration and taught courses at the American Business College, Technical Division, before moving on to supervisory positions in Phoenix and Lake Havasu, Ariz.733