Ray E. Nelson passed away in Centralia, Washington on July 1, 2023. He was born July 15, 1936 in Portland, Oregon to Chris and Viola (Oja) Nelson.

At two years old the family moved to Tokeland, Washington. Ray attended Tokeland grade school and graduated from Ocosta High School in 1954. He attended the University of Washington and Grays Harbor Community College as well as spending four years in the Air Force.

He had a full life and many interesting experiences. He spent his 9th birthday on a tuna fishing boat 40 miles off the coast of Washington just a couple months before the end of WWII. On his 16th birthday he went to get his driver’s license and told them he had driven there with a truckload of ice that needed to be delivered immediately, his license was issued and the ice arrived intact. ln high school he played football, boxed, and worked at the crab cannery in Tokeland.

He was a commercial clam digger and fisherman in Washington and later fished in Alaska commercially. Because he got seasick on the ocean, a lifetime of fishing was out, so he decided to become a commercial pilot. He started in Alaska, flying a C-46 as a bush pilot, flying into small villages on grass landing strips and saw polar bears running across ice floes. They hauled fish, bees and chickens into Seward, and equipment into Prudhoe Bay.

He was a flight engineer on the Constellation for Alaska Airlines one summer then decided he needed a fulltime, year-round job and went to work for West Coast Airlines flying DC-3s and F-27s. 

In between jobs he would work as a longshoreman in Seattle. He often talked about banana boats coming into port and carrying the big stalks of bananas on their backs to unload the boat.
Then the days of mergers came along and there was merger after merger: Air West, Hughes Airwest {painted Yellow), Republic, North West and then Ray retired. He was retired for 28 years.

He made many trips to Alaska and drove the highway to Alaska three times with his wife. They visited Finland, Sweden and Norway together as well. Ray was an avid hiker and swimmer for many years. He enjoyed splitting wood and building fires in his wood stove.

Ray is survived by Virginia, his wife of 58 years; daughters Anna and Karen, four grandchildren, and his sister Ann. His sister Brenda Mitby preceded him in death.