William “Bill” Thomas Ray passed away on November 14, 2019 at the age of 93 after a long battle with dementia. Bill was born in Chapel Hill, NC to William Oscar Ray and Maggie Woods Ray. He attended Chapel Hill High School and went on to attend North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, graduating with a degree in architectural engineering. While at NCSU he joined the Air Force ROTC, was an active member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and was president of the Beaux Arts Society. After graduation he worked at an architectural firm in Raleigh, NC. While there he created the architectural design for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in McEwen, TN. His design was also used to build St. Christopher Church in Dickson, TN.
In 1950 Bill joined the Air Force and it was during this time he discovered his passion for flying. After completing active military duty during the Korean War, he was accepted to the Northrop Aeronautical Institute in CA to continue his pursuit of flying. After graduation from NAI, he was given a chance to fulfill his dream of flying when he was hired by Pan American World Airways as a Flight Engineer. The first aircraft he flew was a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser; Bill flew many different aircraft while employed at Pan Am including the DC-6, DC-8, B707, B747, and B747-SP. He soon became a Check Flight Engineer and an instructor, but was always the happiest in the cockpit of a jet. In his nearly 33 years with Pan Am he had the opportunity to see the world and meet many interesting people. He loved to tell stories of meeting many of his flying heroes like Charles A. Lindbergh, Pappy Boyington, Chuck Yaeger, and Jimmy Doolittle.
There were many memorable moments in his career. In 1964 he was part of the DC-8 crew on the first commercial airline entry into Berlin since the end of World War ll. Bill flew many cargo and R&R flights in and out of Saigon and Danang during the Vietnam War. On one of his flights into Danang his Pan Am B707 plane came under a rocket attack while attempting to land. The flight managed to divert to Saigon before returning and making a successful landing.
Bill’s other passion was his O-scale model train. He was hooked on trains as a young boy and his love for anything involving trains remained with him until the end. He was an accomplished modeler and built all of his locomotives, the rolling stock, and the scenery for his extensive layout. He was also a very gifted artist, but was very modest about his talent.
Bill is survived by his wife Helena, whom he met nearly 40 years ago on a flight to London where she served him his favorite beverage- coffee. Also surviving are his children Patricia (Steve), Bill (Mary), Mary Jo (Tom), Shaun, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his son Randy.
A celebration of Bill’s life will take place later in the summer.
Published in Kitsap Sun from Jan. 2 to Jan. 5, 2020