Obituary of Les Ray

A special note to Les from Joy: You have given me 20 of the best years of my life. Be happy and healthy sweetheart in your “glorified body”. You are sorely missed, but knowing Jesus has taken you in as one of His favorite sons gives us all great comfort. Leslie “Les” James Ray passed away peacefully in Hillsboro, Oregon at the age of 88. Beloved husband to Joy, father to three sons, grandfather and great-grandfather to a brood that continues to grow. A veteran of the Korean War, he served two stints in the United States Army, where he survived heavy gunfire and bitter cold. He received two Honorable Discharges. Raised in Saugus, California, Les went on to work primarily in Thousand Oaks, California for the Los Angeles Water District. He and his beloved first wife, Diane, were married for 45 years. He retired from the LA Water District some thirty years ago, whereafter he resumed his passion for painting beautiful, engaging works of illustrative art that tell stories of which we can all relate. Trains were a love of his, as well as country stores and quiet moments of small town life, which he captured with his dynamic eye for the human element. This remarkable human being started drawing at the age of eight; he felt this was the best way he could remember his childhood and the era in which he was raised. A self-taught artist of high regard, he plied his trade from his childhood up to the end of his days—truly, a long life well lived. After his first wife Diane passed away, Les married the second love of his life, Joy, on January 6, 2001. They adored one another and were inseparable for almost 20 years; not nearly enough time. You would never see one without the other, and always they were holding each other’s hands. This was a match made in heaven. Les considered his daughters-in-law as well as his wife Joy’s children and their spouses, as his children. They called him “dad” and “pa”. He was grandpop as well as great-grandpop, and loved all of the kids with his generous heart. A God-loving Christian, humble and full of wisdom; strong but gentle, he will be missed by all who knew him. Les is survived by his wife Joy, sons Guy, Mike (Debbie), Dan (Debbie), and extended family, including Sharon (Matt), Donna (Frank) and Michael. He is also survived by grandchildren/great-grandchildren Taryn, Lauryn (Mike), Aubrey, Cory (Angela), Chloe, Chris, Emiliano, Javier, Bianca, Casey (Elizabeth), Paul “P.J” (Elyse), Trevor, Nicholas, Jacob, and Carly. Our artist friend, wise father, wonderful husband, animal lover, and brave soldier will be recognized with a Celebration of Life, including Military Honors, to be held in Oregon in the spring of 2020. Details will be shared at a later date. Family and close friends are invited. Please feel free to visit Les’ website to read more about his life, and to view some of his paintings at www.Lesraystudio.net Donations in Les Ray’s honor may be made to: Save Maui Cats, Inc.: https://savemauicats.org/