Ray Arthur Leach

Ray Arthur Leach was born June 23, 1932, in Dayton, Ohio, to Wright and Glennis Lambert Leach. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers (Wright and Frank), and one sister (Shirley). The family moved to Xenia, OH. Then, because his dad longed for the West, they moved to a 100-acre farm north of Las Cruces, NM. There, they built and operated a poultry operation.

Ray graduated from Union High School in Las Cruces in 1950. Then, feeling the call to the evangelical ministry, Ray attended Pasadena Nazarene College, earning a bachelor of Arts degree in 1954. Then, he followed up with a master’s degree in Psychology and Religion.

While a freshman in college, Ray met Irene Young, another freshman whose parents ran a family dairy business in Peoria, AZ. When they were juniors, they married at the Nazarene Church in Peoria in August 1952. They have celebrated over 71 years of marriage together.

His degrees notwithstanding, Ray decided he wanted to become a flight navigator for the airlines, and after passing the written exam, he managed to accumulate the required flying time on the job to become a fully licensed Navigator. The family packed up, moved to Long Island, NY, for a year, and decided they did not care for the East Coast. They then moved to San Jose, CA, where Ray flew charter jets to Europe. The airline he was working for went bankrupt in 1962, so he took a civil service job in San Jose, CA, for a while. Ray was then hired by Continental Airlines, flying to the Orient and training pilots in new navigation equipment. He then spent seven and a half years flying for United Airlines from San Francisco to Honolulu and back twice a week. During this time, Ray spent a good deal of time in the lay ministry of his church.

Ray’s call to the ministry was renewed, leading to a full-time position as lay pastor in Oregon at the Portland First Church of the Nazarene. He took a leave of absence from United Airlines and never returned to flying. He continued as a lay pastor for 1ten years, and then he finished his credentials and served on staff at Roseburg Church of the Nazarene for four years. Ray became a Lead Pastor at the Mount Scott Church of the Nazarene in Southeast Portland for eight years. He then accepted a call to Mesa, AZ, for the last five years of his ministry. Ray was active as a retired minister in his church, teaching a class of winter visitors from all over the U.S. and Canada. Some of Ray’s hobbies included home improvement projects, backpacking, cycling, flying, and trailer camping. Diagnosed with Vascular Dementia in 2011, Ray and Irene began thinking of returning to Oregon and then moved to McMinnville, OR, in 2014 to be near his sons.

Ray and Irene are the parents of four sons: William (Lenore) Leach of Dayton, OR; Robert Leach of McMinnville, OR; Stephen (Patsy) Leach of Newberg, OR; and John (Kathy) of Dayton, OR. Seven grandchildren have been added to the family: William’s sons, Jeffery and Jeremy; Stephen’s daughters, Stephanie and Jacque (Peter Mayoral); and John’s children, Hannah, Bethany (Tristian Miller), and Joshua (Kelsie): one great-granddaughter, Paisley Jo Brown.

Please join us as we celebrate our newest Great-Granddaughter Lorelai Judith Leach who was born this week on February 21st