Culver City Observer -

Raymond J. Dry of Simsbury, CT and Culver City, CA, died on March 17. He was 94. He is survived by his children, Andrew Dry, of Wassenaar, Netherlands, and Sarah Dry and her husband, Sotiris Tetradis, of Culver City, CA, his 8 grandchildren, and his many beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grand nephews. His daughter, Liz Stevenson and her husband, Mark, predeceased him. His wife of 56 years, Renee, the love of his life, predeceased him in 2005. Born in Salamanca NY in 1923, Ray graduated from Alfred University in 1944, enlisted in the US Navy, earned the rank of Lieutenant (Jg.), and served on the USS Cache, being present at the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the occupation of Japan. Honorably discharged from the US Navy in 1946, he taught math in Little Valley, NY then enrolled in Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D in Psychometric Statistics and Measurements. In 1951 he joined LIMRA in Hartford, CT, where he worked for 37 years until his retirement in 1988 as 2nd Vice President and Head of Research Information. Ray attributed his success to "having a good numbers sense, a good understanding of research design and process, good communication skills, and to a service orientation". And he also admitted that "occasionally, I have a good idea". Ray believed in service to his community and served on the Simsbury Board of Education for more than 30 years, with several terms as Chairman. He was recognized for his service by the Connecticut Boards of Education. He lived in the McLean apartments in Simsbury for five years among his many friends, exercising, playing bridge, and dining with them at 5:30 each night. Moving to Culver City, he remained an active and enthusiastic bridge player, occasionally rejoicing in the fact that his playing partners on a given day were all older than he was. Ray was optimistic, positive, encouraging, and unfailingly cheerful, and he never let the difficulties he faced as he aged keep him from being active and living life fully. He travelled, went to plays and concerts, to Greek dancing competitions, he read the newspaper daily cover to cover, watched UConn Women's basketball and UCLA football and basketball, and enjoyed a daily martini, until his last days. He will always be an inspiration to all of us who knew and loved him, and we will all always seek to live by his example. Everyone who was lucky enough to know him will miss him dearly. A ceremony of remembrance will be held on Sunday, April 29, at 3 PM, at Anthony Nex Photo Studio, 3221 Hutchinson Ave. #E, Los Angeles CA 90034. Donations in his memory can be made by check either to Simsbury Public Schools, 933 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, CT 06070, noting that the donation is in his memory.

Story courtesy of The Hartford Courant