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Michael Charles Ray, August 27, 1936 – October 7, 2021
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Former Windsor City Councilman and Provincial MPP Michael ‘Mike’ Ray is being remembered as a strong voice for the people of Windsor.
“He always came prepared, he had a good word to say and he contributed greatly to his community,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said Friday in tribute to Ray.
“His passing is a great loss to our community and we will miss him.”
Ray, first elected to the Windsor council in 1980 and as a councilman until 1987, died Thursday at age 85. He was elected in 1987 as a Liberal MPP for what was then the Windsor-Walkerville promenade and served at Queen’s Park until 1990.
Ray attended the University of Western Ontario and the Ontario College of Education, where he received a teaching degree, and the University of Windsor, where he earned a law degree. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1973.
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He returned to law after his career in politics and served as a regional senior counsel for the custodial and support legal services branch of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.
In recent years, Ray served on the boards of the Windsor Port Authority and Windsor Police Services. He was a member of the board of the YQG Windsor International Airport at the time of his death.
Dilkens said she met Ray through their mutual service on the Windsor Regional Hospital board in the early 2000s.
“He was as sharp the last time I spoke to him, a week ago, as the day I met him,” Dilkens said. “He loved this city.”
“His guidance and foresight really worked well for the city and for the boards he served on. He had a really refreshing sincerity and frankness.
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“Behind all that was that he was a true gentleman. You rarely saw him without a suit and tie and he always came prepared. “
During Ray’s years of public service, what kept him going was a deep love for Windsor and a sense of responsibility, said Al Santing, a former colleague on the city council from 1980 to 1985.
“He believed in freedom and democracy and doing what he could, and he really liked doing it,” Santing said. “It was fun working with him.”
Former Windsor Mayor John Millson remembers his former city council colleague as a principled advocate for his community.
“He was a great fighter for the neighborhood, for our constituents, and as MPP he was highly respected,” said Millson, “He was an incredible councilman.”
Millson recalled that Ray always stood up for what he believed to be right, sometimes literally standing up during heated debates.
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Ray could be an intimidating opponent in council chambers at times, Millson said, but only because his experience and attention to detail were unparalleled.
“Number one, you knew he did his homework, and number two, he was probably right,” Millson said. “He would fight for the voters to make sure his voice was really well heard.”
“People voted for him because they believed in him and he never wanted to let them down.”
Ray is survived by his wife Joyce, daughters Stacey and Lea, five sisters, grandchildren, and one other family.
A private family service will be held on October 13. Donations can be made to the Hospice of Windsor, Windsor Street Help, or a charity of your choice.
Reference-windsorstar.com