Ray began a career in Red Cross safety education in 1968. In 1973, he and Jane moved to No. Virginia as a result of a reassignment within Red Cross to its National HQ as a program specialist in boating safety education. Angie and Monica were born there - that makes them true Virginians.
While serving the Red Cross in Washington DC, Ray was able to complete a masters program in Educational Research and Design at Georgetown University. To his credit are numerous boating safety textbooks, manuals, and educational programs he has authored for the Red Cross and other national organizations. Honored by Anheiser-Busch with their prestigeous Michelob Schooner Award in 1977, Ray has continued to promote boating and water safety no matter where he travels.
After serving Red Cross as their National Director of Boating Safety for a number of years, Ray, Jane, Angie, and Monica moved to Boise, Idaho where Ray continued his Red Cross career until his early retirement in 1992.
Since then, Ray has operated his own computer consulting firm, designs and flies kites, plays banjo, guitar and jazz ukulele, performs magic, and teaches a variety of subjects to whomever will listen. He also enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities from hiking to boating and camping. He and Jane travel to traditional jazz and swing music festivals along the Pacific Coast. With their interest in good jazz, they don't spend much time at home.
Since retiring from all work in '99, his interest became a chore of developing home pages for Internet surfers and businesses. Having a background in computer programming and writing application scripts came in handy when implementing the HyperText Markup Language and Java scripts. To those reading this page, if you have a need for home page development and don't want to do the dirty work yourself, DON'T CALL RAY. Find someone else who will discuss your needs and give you guidance.
Ray is also involved rather heavily in promoting musicians and bands. His most active ventures are with Miyoko Onishi. Miyoko Onishi was introduced to Ray in Seattle in 2000 by Charlie Tagawa. Charlie is a friend and associate of Ray's father-in-law and a very fine banjoist. Charlie's admonition to Ray was to help Miyoko with her needs when she travels to the U. S. to perform as a solo jazz banjoist. Since then, Ray has dedicated time and effort in bringing Miyoko and Her Tokyo Traditional Jazz Band to America (a labor of love). In September of 2005, Miyoko debuted her band at the Wine Country Vintage Jazz Festival in California. Ray called in a few favors and negotiated the invitation. It was fabulous and she is excited about the next time she can play with her band in the U. S.
Ray and Jane have taken Miyoko and her family into their hearts and host her almost every year for a week. "During this week, we play lots of music and she gets a nice holiday," Ray explains. Ray and Miyoko correspond regularly making plans and developing materials to interest festival directors in America in bringing her jazz band to their festivals. Ray and Miyoko have become good friends over the years and look forward to seeing each other in person often.
Ray's plans for the future are to remain healthy, participate in kiting, magic, music, boating, and festivals until such time as they become too difficult. Ray's retirement is a wonderful experience and he recommends it to one and all. In order to get there soon, he suggests that you pay yourself first by saving for your retirement, then paying your creditors.
Since working is a means to an end, and since working is what keeps us young in mind and spirit, keep working as long as you live. In keeping with this concept, Ray had a consulting firm that involved him only as much as he wanted to be involved.
Ray's interest in music led to the formation of a small, loosely run band. It is Desert Swing. It serves many functions, the main one of which is to keep Ray busy and out of mischief. He plays a lot of dates, mainly as a solo banjoist at homes and hospitals for the elderly and in public forums playing and singing light jazz with his ukulele... click on the link at the bottom of this page for Ray's Music Site to learn more about Ray's music.
