Longtime Westport Washington resident Monte Ray crossed the bar in Yuma, Arizona at the age of 94.
Monte was born in Tacoma, Washington to Albert and Florence (Evans).
He was a member of two Washington state pioneer families. His great-grandfather Tom Evans settled in Sequim, Washington in 1860. His grandfather Jim McRay immigrated from Ireland in 1889. In 1895 his grandfather dropped the Mc off the name and moved for his job as a NYPD member riding Paddy Wagons and settled in Washington state and founded Rayville located on the road between Elma and McCleary. He owned and operated a cedar mill there. It burned down in 1901 and they moved to Tacoma.
Monte was a U.S. Coast Guard Radioman Chief. He served three tours in Westport at Coast Guard Radsta Westport during his 23-year career. He always claimed that Westport was his hometown. He also served in Hawaii at Radsta Honolulu and on the CGC Winnebago. He served in Port Angeles, Washington on the CGC Winona. He Served in Seattle at Dist. 13 Commcen and aboard the icebreaker CGC Northwind and the Klamath. He retired in Aug 1969 at Westport Radio.
In 1951, he married Aberdeen native Donna Nazer. They had one child, a son Michael. After retiring from CG, Monte became a Washington State Fisheries Patrol Officer. His area was from Cape Flattery to the Columbia River. He retired from there and sold real estate then took a job driving bus for the Ocosta School District while he waited for Donna to retire from her job. He drove bus for Grays Harbor Transit with his final two years driving the trolley bus in Westport.
Monte and Donna took the Roads on America with a travel trailer and discovered Yuma, Arizona. They bought a plot in an RV Park called Country Roads. They sold their house in Westport and moved to Yuma but returned to Westport every summer. Donna passed away in 2001 from a short battle with cancer. Several years later he married Linda Woolf. Monte was a lifetime member of the Westport Gen. Jimmy Doolittle VFW. He married Linda there and they traveled and cruised some. Linda took very good care of Monte especially during these tough times as his health began to fail.
The family loves her so much for what she did.
Monte is survived by his wife Linda, his son Mike (Beth) Ray of Hoquiam, his daughter Vicki (Rod) Parker of Marysville, grandson Gordy (Patti) Ray, granddaughter Julie (Rob) MacMillan of Montesano, grandson Owen Schimming of Marysville and four great-grandkids, Ethan and Luke Ray and Kyla and Hunter MacMillan.
