Eric Scott Ray

Eric Scott Ray was born on March 5, 1976, at the Submarine Base Hospital in Groton CT, to Steven and Linda (Leraas) Ray. He was baptized at Shepherd of the Sea Naval Chapel in Groton. He lived with his parents in Groton CT, Orlando FL, Silverdale WA, Winthrop Harbor IL, Mahomet IL, and Monticello MN, until graduating 1st in his class from Monticello High School in 1994. Growing up Eric was an avid Cub Scout and Boy Scout achieving Eagle Scout rank.

Eric attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. While working for the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River MD, he earned a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering. While there he developed programs to use Computational Fluid Dynamics on supercomputers in lieu of wind tunnel testing to analyze missile integration onto aircraft, saving the Navy millions of dollars without losing accuracy.

After briefly working for a defense contractor in Hopkins MN, Eric moved to Houston TX, and worked for a NASA contractor and eventually for NASA itself. He was a team leader for the Orion Manned Spacecraft Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS). He attended many aerospace and parachute conferences where he often presented some of his dozens of published papers, including one in Toulouse, France. Eric received several awards and commendations for his work in the aerospace field and was known as “The Wizard” by his coworkers.

Eric married the love of his life, Sarah Elizabeth (Liz) Williams on April 10, 2020, in Galveston TX, and they lived in Houston near his work at the Johnson Space Center.

Eric passed away suddenly from an undetected heart condition on December 4, 2024 at home. He is survived by his wife Liz, his parents Steven and Linda Ray, mother-in-law Sandra Williams, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his older brother Jason Patrick Ray, his aunt Bonnie Leraas, several cousins, and his grandparents, Dayle and Elaine Ray and Gordon and Betty Leraas.

Eric enjoyed biking, exercising, camping and nature, comic book collecting and conventions (where he met Liz), traveling, disc golf, eclipses, and visiting zoos and art galleries across the country. He also enjoyed genealogy, and it was through his family tree website that he found long lost family connections in the former East Germany, and got to meet one of them who came to visit in Minnesota. He loved being a tour guide to everyone who visited, bringing them to museums, the Space Center, and numerous other attractions.

As a boy, Eric hardly did anything or went anywhere without wearing an appropriate costume, like the tin soldier on his Christmas stocking. Even in adulthood he loved wearing costumes for Renaissance Fairs, Halloween, Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, and other occasions.

Eric was an avid philanthropist and quick to volunteer to anyone in need.

Eric Scott Ray will be missed by all who knew him.