Ray Lee McRae

July 7, 1934 – December 23, 2020

Ray Lee McRae passed on Dec. 23, 2020, in Spokane, Washington.

Born in Colby, Kansas, on July 7, 1934, to Donald and Nellie (Folsom) McRae, the eldest of three children growing up in Twin Falls, Idaho. Later the family moved to College Place, Washington, where the whole family attended Walla Walla College. He joined the Army in 1956, the same year he married Doreen Klatt. They welcomed their son Scott into the world in 1957 and their daughter Linda in 1961. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1958 and joined the Air Force Reserves where he served for 14 years as part of a medical evacuation team.

During his Reserve time he became a hospital administrator at the Othello Community Hospital and the Ritzville Hospital for 18 years. In 1992 he became a chemical dependency counselor and moved to Spokane, Washington, with Barbara Ross, the last love of his life.

He continued his education, earning a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University in 2000.

Ray served on the Community Health Association of Spokane board from 2005 through 2020 and was a lifetime member of the Othello Eagles and a Moose member.

He is survived by his domestic partner of 29 years Barbara Ross, daughter Linda McRae, brother Robert (Carole) McRae, sister Wilma (David) Torretta and grandson John Higdon, along with many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23, 2021 at the VA Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington.