October 10, 1926 to May 31, 2018
Carmel Valley, CA
Lou Ray, resident of Los Tulares since 1976, retired Monterey Co. librarian and wife of Colonel Oliver A. Ray (ret.), passed away at her home of natural causes. She was 91 years old.
Lou was born to Joseph Swift Ford and Florence Judson Ford. She grew up on their apple ranch on Old Chittenden Rd., Aromas. She graduated from Watsonville H.S. and attended San Jose State, where she met her future husband, Oliver. Lou studied French and Spanish in college. Later, she applied her facility with foreign languages to learning German, Russian and Italian, during her years as companion and consummate hostess to her career Army husband. For 27 years, Oliver and Lou were stationed at various posts around the U.S. and spent many years serving in Germany, Belgium and the Soviet Union. In the USSR, Lou was the librarian at the American Embassy. She entertained many foreign officials in their homes, especially in Moscow and Bonn. During the decades that Lou and Oliver were assigned abroad, Lou enjoyed collecting antique furniture and art objects. Another lifelong pursuit of Lou’s was researching family genealogy. She was proud to be a Daughter of the American Revolution.
Lou is survived by her husband, Oliver; three daughters: Amy Britton, Meg Ray and Beth Tozier (Bruce Tozier); seven grandchildren: Joe, Ben and Maggie Britton, Alex Calerdine, Kelsey Spurr (Mike Spurr), Elsie Tozier, Glenn Tozier (Whitney Thompson-Tozier); as well as nieces Jane Franklin Melford, Missy Erausquin, Carrie Ford, and nephew Tim Ford. Lou was pre-deceased by her beloved sister, Claire Ford Franklin, brother-in-law Bill Franklin, DDS, and their son Tom; as well as by Lou’s beloved brother, Thomas S. Ford, DDS, and sister-in-law Alice S. Ford.
The Ray family would like to express appreciation to Dr. Tocchet for his thirty years of excellent medical care. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, Lou’s family suggests a donation to Friends of the Carmel Valley Library or Hospice of the Central Coast.
