William C. Ray (Bill) was born Nov. 3, 1916, in Gough, Texas, to Nason and Fern Cornelius Ray. He graduated from Greenville High School in 1934, and on July 10, 1939, arrived in Alaska. He worked on the docks in Petersburg for the Alaska Steamship Co. The lure of the North led him to Fairbanks in 1941, where he worked at the University of Alaska and the Glenn Carrington Co.

In 1942 Bill Ray moved to Anchorage and, on May 20, 1945, married Frances Pickolick. He worked in Civil Service for the U.S. Air Force as Property Administrator for the White Alice project, from its beginning, until retiring in 1973 to manage his real estate holdings. His work on the White Alice project took him across Alaska.

Mr. Ray was a member of Pioneers of Alaska, Igloo #l5, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, and the Good Sam Club. An avid photographer, he collected thousands of slides from around the state. He loved the outdoors and was a dedicated gardener.