"Ray graduated from Shenandoah High School in 1955 and entered the Navy following graduation. He served for two years.

After leaving the service, Ray went to work for Miller's Auto Supply Store in Shenandoah, PA and soon was promoted to Manager. He worked there until 1962 when he and his bride moved to Olympia, WA. He had visited his Aunt and Uncle in Olympia when he was stationed in San Diego. While he was there, it snowed. Being a good nephew, he shoveled the walk and the driveway. The next day, it rained and by noon, the snow was gone. Since he hated shoveling snow, he liked the weather in Olympia. When his Uncle offered him a job in his jewelry store, Ray accepted the offer. While working for his Uncle, he became a Registered Gemologist.

When the GI Bill came through in 1966, he decided to go to college. By then, he and his wife, Jean, had three children, Deanne, Paul and Donna. The youngest was 6 weeks old when he started college. The oldest started kindergarten. Ray went to college during the day and worked the swing shift at Weyerhaeuser's container plant in Lacey, WA. He graduated with a BA in Business in 1970. He went back into the jewelry business, managing several stores in the Olympia/Tacoma/Seattle area.

In 1980, Ray went to work for Olympia Credit Bureau. He had his first heart attack on August 2, 1982 while cutting wood on his property. (The doctors said he had "silent heart attacks". He felt no pain.) He returned to work two months later. Olympia Credit Bureau was subsequently bought out by Equifax (CBI). Ray worked for them for the next 10 years.

Ray played slo-pitch in Olympia for several years until he started college. When his children became active in sports, he coached both girls and boys baseball. He continued to coach 14-15 year old boy's baseball for several years after his son moved on to the older leagues. He supported the high school sports program by being a member of the Boosters Club and served as President for two years. When he passed away, the local youth baseball organization held a baseball tournament in his honor.

Ray was a Cub Scout Pack Leader when his son was in Cub Scouts and assisted in many Scouting events as his son got older. He served as a Girl Scout Dad on many camping trips when his daughters were active in Scouting.

Ray enjoyed playing Cribbage and often ran the local Cribbage tournament. He taught his children to play as soon as they could hold the cards.

On November 7, 1991, Ray and his wife returned to Shenandoah, PA for his Aunt and Uncles's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Many members of the extended family were there. He had the opportunity to see many aunts and uncles, cousins and friends. On November 9th, at the Anniversay reception, Ray danced with his Aunt. He danced a polka with his sister, and was dancing with his wife, when he had his last heart attack. Thre was no Medic service in that small town. By the time the ambulance service got him to the hospital, 12 miles away, he was gone. He was loved and is missed by many. He is remembered as a "fun guy".

Ray Gober is buried in Woodland Cemetery, Olympia, WA." - Jean Gober

I'll begin by telling you that I was four years older - and so four years SMARTER than Ray. (I'm lovin' this already!). We grew up with the usual outpouring of true 'sibling love' - which means we fought like a cat and dog! If you have a brother or sister then you know what I mean. Surely, you remember! - the punch, pinch or nasty face in passing, elbowing each other at the dinner table, chasing each other all around the house for the 'kill' (but that was only when your parents weren't home!). With a chuckle, I remember we devilled each other unmercifully as kids. Only now do I wonder - were we normal? Perhaps I've taken too much for granted in believing that all siblings behaved this way. Whatever! In our mid-years, we had a lot to reflect on and laugh about.

The older we got the more we mellowed. In fact, on the day I got married, my brother got teary and you guys know it wasn't 'cool' (or whatever the slang word was then) for a fifteen year old guy to cry - not then, not now. I'll never forget that I realized right then, 'WOW! HE REALLY LOVES ME!'.

Through our adult years, my marriage and then his, we've always maintained a relationship that was enviable. I believe sharing laughter was the crux of it. And I don't remember exactly when, but somewhere in between all of the above, my 'Baby Brother' was suddenly my 'Big Brother'. He was always there for me.

Still, 'til the day he died, that little bit of 'devil' stayed with him and, much to his glee, surfaced every once-in-awhile to torment me with a headlock, ice cubes down my back or standing me on my head for five minutes - and I was no spring chicken the last time he did that! And now, after all my complaining, I'll confess - I LOVED IT ALL AS I LOVED HIM!

If any of you meet up with him before I do, remind him, HE OWES ME MONEY!" - Eileen Gober Gennarini