Bill Ray (politician)
Bill Ray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Alaska Senate | |
| In office 1970–1986 | |
| Member of the Alaska House of Representatives | |
| In office 1964–1970 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William C. Ray April 6, 1922 Anaconda, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | September 9, 2013 (aged 91) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
William C. Ray Sr. (April 6, 1922 – September 9, 2013) was an American businessman, politician, and writer. He served as a member of the Alaska Legislature for 22 years (six in the House and an additional 16 in the Senate) as a Democrat representing Juneau.
Early life
[edit]Bill Ray was born in Anaconda, Montana on April 6, 1922, to Eli and Marchetta Ray, who were of Serbian descent.[citation needed] Ray and his family lived in Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. After graduating from Wallace High School in Wallace, Idaho, Ray moved to Juneau, Alaska, in 1938 with his family.
Career
[edit]Ray served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was stationed in Adak, Alaska, and Honolulu. He was discharged as a chief radioman. After leaving the navy, Ray returned to Juneau and worked as a bartender at the PaMaRay Club, a bar established by his parents along the busy "bar block" on Juneau's South Franklin Street. Ray also worked as a card dealer, a longshoreman, and in commercial fishing. He later went into business for himself in Juneau, owning and operating a bar, a liquor store, and a charter boat business. He was appointed to serve as a member of the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board by Governor William A. Egan and later served as chairman of the board.[1]
Ray was elected as a Democrat to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1964 and then the Alaska Senate in 1970.
Ray is the namesake of the Bill Ray Center, a government building that housed legislative offices and the Alaska House and Senate Finance Committees during the 2016 extended legislative session.[2]
Personal life
[edit]In 2001, Ray moved to Sequim, Washington where he lived in retirement. In 2002, Ray wrote his memoir: Liquor, Legislation & Laughter: the story of a S.O.B. (Sweet Old Bill). He also wrote: The Hacker's Bible, about golf. Ray died of a heart attack in Seattle, Washington.[3][4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bill Ray Obituary (1922 - 2013) Juneau Empire". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
- ^ "bill ray center juneau". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
- ^ "Bill Ray, longtime Juneau advocate, dies at 91". Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
- ^ "Bill Ray | UA Journey". www.alaska.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This article about an Alaska politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |