<p>
<em>John Ray</em> of Gloucester and Natick, MA, died in the early hours of 18 Nov 2008 at Epoch Senior Healthcare of Weston, MA. A career military officer and educator, he contin­ued to launch energetic campaigns in the four years since a stroke immobilized the right side of his body.</p>
<p>
As an “insider,” he traveled in 2006 to Worcester, MA to address the convention of the Massachusetts Culture Change Coalition, from his first-hand experience, on the impor­tance of making the nursing home environ­ment personal.</p>
<p>
On 3 May 2008 he celebrated his 90th birthday at the Natick home he shared with Julia, his devoted wife and traveling compan­ion of 28 years. In getting to that party he lived up to the nickname “Houdini,” given to him by GEN Omar Bradley during World War II, when he slipped out of POW confinement three times in Tunisia and Germany.</p>
<p>
Perhaps because of his worldwide travels and assignments, John was devoted to the fam­ily home he and his wife Tova created in 1960 in Lanesville, Gloucester, MA. They had met during World War II in England and France, where she served as an Army Nurse dur­ing the liberation of Europe. After her death in 1979, John accepted from the Veterans Administration, by the hand of a WAC com­rade, Tova's memorial flag to be flown from the flagpole they built on the shoreline of the Ipswich Bay.</p>
<p>
At that flagpole perch John Ray was at his best as a friendly raconteur, inspector of tidal treasures, and overseer of global trends. “Lets go, Papa!” the kids would call as the waves broke over the ledge to fill “the bathtub” for a swim.</p>
<p>
John was born on 3 May 1918 in Coronado, CA, where his father Martin Hasset Ray, USMA 1910, was engaged in the development of the Army-Air Force. He and his three brothers all graduated from ser­vice academies, Martin II (1934) and Alan (1941) from Annapolis and John (1939) and Roger (1943) from West Point. His first post­ings were with horse-drawn artillery units—sifting the lessons of men and beasts in the mechanized age. The brothers and father all served with distinction in World War II. Sister Margery was greatly appreciated by the boys for her domestic devotions after the premature death of their mother and for sustaining fam­ily communications while they served their country in war and peace.</p>
<p>
John’s overseas service encompassed the campaigns of North Africa, Sicily, France and Germany. In 1946, he joined the faculty of West Point as an instructor in Law, until depart­ing for wartime duty in Korea and Japan. Later he commanded Nike missile air defense units around New York City. He and Tova studied Burmese for a year at the Army Language School in Monterey, CA, in preparation for his assignment as military attaché to Burma in 1962. After his 1968 retirement in Rochester, NY, he took particular pleasure in establish­ing the nursing program at the Community College of the Finger Lakes; founding Project REACH (Recreation, Education, Arts and Crafts for the Handicapped) in Gloucester with Tova; and producing an endless variety of gifts from “available resources.”</p>
<p>
John leaves his wife Julia of Natick, and brother CAPT Alan, U.S. Navy, and his wife Mary of Gloucester. He earlier had lost brothers LT Martin II, in the Battle of Midway, and COL Roger, with whom he landed at Normandy, and sister Margery Ormond of Aurora, IL. He is survived by his three children: Martin and wife Kay of Gloucester; Carolyn Ray and partner Ken Parker of New City, NY; and Joel and his wife Patricia of Cape Girardeau, MO. He included in his circle Julia’s children: Nancy and Richard Kelly of Augusta, ME; Beverly and Ron Rippel of Easton; Roberta and Joe Emmons of Biddeford, ME; Eugene and Patricia Adams of Waltham; Paul and Jackie Adams of Natick; former daughter-in-law Dorothy Cahill-Tessier of Rockport; sister-in-law Dorothy Ray of Middletown, MD; and many nieces and nephews.</p>
<p>
Especially revered in his life were his grandchildren and their families: Marco, Julie and Lillian Ray; Patrick, Becky and Marcus Ray; Rebecca and Donald Wright and Crystal Leissner; Jesse Rubin; Benjamin Ray Holmes; Tova Ray Holmes; Kelly, Javier and Penelope Figueroa-Ray; John Phillip Ray; Micah and Tracy Kelly; Tanya Kelly; Todd, Kristin, McKenzie and Sadie Rippel; Graham and Rachel Rippel; Christine Adams; Ellen Adams; Julianne Adams; and James Adams.</p>
<p>
Family and friends will be invited to a seaside celebration of John’s life on the 4th of July 2009. Contributions in his memory may be made to The United Veterans Council, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930; The Natick Veterans Council, PO Box 56, Natick, MA 01760; The Ray-Ormond Scholarship Fund at 111 West Downer Place, Suite 312, Aurora, Illinois 60506, www.CommunityFoundationFRV.org; or the char­ity of your choice.</p>
<p>
</p>