P.O. Box 901, Prosser WA 99350 /wspmemorialfoundation@gmail.com / 360.597.4411

Captain Loren G. (Bud) Ray was born on March 29, 1901, in Satsop, Washington, to Charles E. Ray and Iva Smith.  A family of farmers and blacksmiths, Ray and his brother, Ellis, attended schools in the Centralia/Chehalis area.  Ray had a second brother, Charles, who did not live past the age of one.

 

As an adult, Ray worked as a bookkeeper at the railroad in Pacific County.

 

Ray was commissioned with the Washington State Highway Patrol on November 26, 1928, under the command of Chief William Cole.  Just five years later, Ray became the Captain of District 1, which at the time included the King County district extending to the Canadian border.

 

Captain Loren Ray died on December 16, 1934, at the age of 34.  Captain Ray reportedly fell down a 15-foot light well while trying to cross a narrow ledge on the county-city building in Seattle.  Captain Ray had been trying to enter the license division office to obtain automobile license records for a hit-and-run investigation.  The locks were changed the month prior, and he did not have a working key.  Captain Ray tried using several keys and even a lock pick.  He eventually resorted to crawling across a narrow ledge to try and pry open a window to the building when he fell.  At the time of his death, Captain Ray had served six years with the Washington Highway Patrol. 

 

Captain Ray was survived by his mother, Iva, and brother, Ellis.  His mother passed away in 1964, and his brother passed away in 1987.  Captain Ray’s father had passed away in 1923.

 

On Friday, May 20, 2016, a dedication ceremony of the memorial to honor and remember King County Troopers was held at the Bellevue District Office.  When you visit the Bellevue District Office, take a moment to stop by the beautiful memorial that was created in remembrance of King County Troopers.

 

Captain Ray, and the other thirty-one WSP fallen officers, will be honored at the WSP Memorial Foundation dinner on July 15, 2023, at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, WA.

 

Please take a moment to remember Captain Ray and his family.