Ray was born in Toronto. Due to the troubled nature of his family life, which led to the divorce of his parents, Ray attended five public schools and two high schools.

His early education was in a one-room schoolhouse in Rural Whitby.

One of Ray’s favourite activities during his youth was exploring the country roads, meadows, forests and streams of rural Whitby, and fishing wherever and whenever he could. Teen years were spent in Whitby and Oshawa, with college years spent in Toronto and Peterborough. During his college years Ray worked in a factory, built cottages, shingled roofs, stripped wallpaper, painted rooms and houses, performed high ladder sign maintenance and shopping centre relamping and was a Maintenance Manager for a summer camp. Ray isn’t inclined to make things but he has a reputation in the family as one who can fix almost anything.

Ray pastored Baptist churches in Peterborough, Trenton, Port Hope, Oshawa and Scarborough for more than thirty years.

Ray has been happily married to Diane, a teacher, for more than forty years. They have two married children (an actress and a computer software developed) and two grandchildren. If you see Ray and Diane about town, you will find them walking hand-in-hand. They pump weights and walk for their health. They love to travel. A natural extension of this love of travel and delight in white sandy beaches is Ray’s recent excursion into cruise chaplaincy.

Since retiring from pastoring Ray has applied his buoyant personality and extensive training and resources to providing highest quality wedding officiating to couples by means of his extensive website, wise personal counsel and radiant, calming stage presence. For Ray there is no substitute for highest quality and care. Weddings ought to ignite a marriage in the sweetest and most memorable manner. This is the earnest aspiration and artistry that Ray applies to weddings – to your wedding.