Ray was born in Washington, Kansas on April 29, 1939. He was raised in Fairbury, Nebraska and graduated from high school in 1957. He participated in many activities in high school. He was co-captain of the Football team, a two state Tennis Champion and lettered in baseball and basketball as well. After graduation from high school, Ray enrolled at Fairbury Junior College were he played quarterback and served as the 1958 co-captain of the football team, which made the National Junior College play-offs. He received All-American honors as a Quarterback. Ray also played in the National Junior College tournament in 1958 and was a javelin thrower in track. He continued his football career at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska were he was also the co-captain of the football team. He graduated from Doane with a BA degree in secondary education in 1961. Ray began his teaching career in Falls City, Nebraska, in 1957. He taught at Falls City until 1967.
During his time at Falls City he served as a football, basketball and track & field coach while teaching Social Studies. He moved to Shenandoah in 1967 until 1999. Ray served as the head football, head baseball, and head track coach during this time. He also served as an assistant basketball and baseball coach as well. From 1999 to 2002, Ray worked as an assistant coach at the Clarinda Academy in Clarinda, IA.
He is now serving as a volunteer coach in track & field at Shenandoah. Here is a synopsis of Ray’s outstanding career accomplishments. Ray was a National Coach of the Year finalist for Cross Country in 2000. He has been selected State Coach of the Year five times in Cross Country, and Regional Coach of the Year three times in Track and Field and several times in Cross Country. Ray has served as the Drake relays High School Referee and served on the IHSAA Track & Field Advisory Board. He was also a nominee for National Coach of the year in 1993. He received the Pride Award from KMA Radio in 1997. Ray has coached five State Championship teams in Cross Country as well as fifteen total appearances at the State Cross Country Meet. He has had two individual State Champions including another of our inductees for the Hall of Fame Wally Duffy and two individual runner-ups. His teams have won five district titles and came within two points of having a perfect score twice placing all seven of his runners in the top ten individuals. His teams won 10 conference championships with nine individual conference champions as well. His teams have won 43 major meets during his 32 year tenure at Shenandoah and he has had eight individual All-State performers. In track, Ray’s achievements are as impressive. He has had 5 teams finish in the top ten, with his 1979 squad finishing as the State Runner-up. Ray also has coached two district championship teams and been the district runner-up four times. His teams have finished in 4th place or higher 17 out of the twenty-two years he served as the head coach. He also won one conference title and his teams finished in the top four sixteen times in the Hawkeye 10 Conference Meet. Ray has coached seven individual champions and has had two relay teams win state titles. Ray has been married to his wife Kathleen for 42 years. They have two children, Jeff and Jodie.