Ray, Thomas Earl

Thomas Earl Ray, age 80, of Blacksburg died, Wednesday, January 1, 2014, at Lewis Gale Hospital-Montgomery. Mr. Ray was born on May 20, 1933 at San Antonio, Texas. He is pre-deceased by his mother, Johnnie Ray Montgomery, his stepfather, Alfred Montgomery, his father, Andrew Ray and baby brother, James. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, daughter, Melodie ruth Kapolka, her husband, Michael Kapolka, and grandson, Nicholas John Kapolka of Sterling Heights, Michigan: and son, Christopher Kevin Ray, his wife, Mary Kidd Ray of Cincinnati, Ohio, and his beloved West Highland terrier, Sweet Annie Laurie. Mr. Ray was educated at the University of Detroit Mercy, School of Architecture, and the University of Wisconsin Madison where he was certified in early solar energy engineering. He served his Country as a Corporal, United States Army, in Frankfort, Germany. After receiving an Honorable Discharge, he spent the next six years in the Army Reserve. While he spent much of his career in the employ of Michigan architects as an architect’s liaison to general contractors on many large projects, he was proud to have started his career as a young draftsman on Tower One of the World Trade Center (NYC) working for famed architect Minoru Yamasaki. He also contributed to the well-known Michigan Consolidated Gas Company high-rise, located at the foot of Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, among other projects. He spent several years in the early days of Gino Rossetti Architects, now world famous for the design of professional sports facilities and entertainment venues. While working for Gunnar Birkerts & Associates of Birmingham, Michigan, he was responsible for liaison on the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (now Marquette Plaza), School of Dance, Purchase, NY, Corning Fire Station, Corning, NY. The family moved to Washington, DC in 1981, where he worked on a number of projects over the next decade, including the ExxonMobil Headquarters in Fairfax County, Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum Architects (HOK). A huge career change for both Margaret and Tom came with burnout. They opened The Oaks Victorian Inn in Christiansburg and for the next 15 years hosted interesting guests from all over the world. In 2004 illness forced retirement but they were finally able to again travel, making a couple of trips to Europe and Eastern Europe as well as several long over-due visits to family and friends. The Family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at Montgomery Regional Hospital for the sensitive and compassionate care he received and was shown to the family during his illness. It was Mr. Ray’s wishes that he be cremated and there be no viewing or funeral. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.