Robert Oliver Ray

Nov. 1933 - Aug.14th, 2016 Robert Oliver Ray of Atascadero passed away Sunday evening with his family at his side following a long struggle with illness .He was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Gordon Smith and Dorothy M. Lee. He was the youngest of two children. The family came to Los Angeles area where Dorothy remarried in 1940 to James Ray. Bob was adopted by James in April of 1943. After Graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School, Long Beach in 1950 he served in the U.S. Army from 1951 -'54 attaining the rank of Sergeant and served in the Korean conflict as a Radio Operator for the Light Aviation section of the 3rd Infantry Division. In 1954 he came home and married the love of his life, Ann Mansfield, in Solvang, California. In 1955 he successfully completed his one and only solo parachute jump in San Luis Obispo. A 1958 graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a BS in Mathematics. For over 45 years he was an accomplished computer programmer and architect where he first worked for the U.S. Government helping to design and program telemetry systems for the Mercury and Saturn rockets programs. While working for the Government he was able to work with and meet the first generations of American Astronauts at Edwards Air Base and White Sands. He then joined IBM where he worked on mainframe operating systems that were used by the top major companies around the world. He then finished his career at Amdahl and Sterling Software where he rose to the position of Director of Software Engineering, retiring in 1993. In 1987 after living throughout the United States Bob became a 30-year resident of San Luis Obispo County, first in Cambria and finally in Atascadero .He was preceded in death by mother Dorothy and James Ray of Long Beach and birth father Gordon Smith. Father-in-law Howard Mansfield , mother-in-law Jewell Mansfield and son-in-law Bob Tero of Albuquerque. Survived by Ann, his wife of 62 years, his brother Gordon (Iverne) of Salinas, son Vance (Carrie) of Atascadero, daughter Kathleen Tero of Albuquerque, son Shawn (Leslie) of Boulder Creek, grandchildren: Jason Ray, Megan Tero, Kelly Tero, Caitlin Tero, Amanda De Dora, Debra Ray and Rowan Nicolett-Ray. Great-grandchildren : Cambria Tero and Gabriella Buquoi of Albuquerque. And nephews Bill and Steven Ray and niece Nancy Thorpe. He enjoyed traveling to many locations across the United States and around the world, especially to Ireland, Italy, England and Israel. He was an avid Cyclist who enjoyed nothing more than doing century rides in Death Valley and riding with the Killer Bees cycling club of Cambria. He was also an enthusiastic chess player and voracious reader. Never one to stop learning he enjoyed reading about the latest theories in physics and other areas of science and mathematics. Bob also enjoyed spending time with all of his family, whom he loved dearly, as well as spending time outdoors with friends and family backpacking, camping and fishing. He also enjoyed many styles of music including Classical , Irish, Bluegrass/Americana, Jazz and the Beach Boys. Bob will be laid to rest on August 18th, 2016, at Oak Hill Cemetery at Ballard in Solvang.

Robert Oliver Ray

November 20, 1933 - August 14, 2016