Ray Wilman Gourley

Ray Gourley died peacefully at the great age of 102 on October 15, 2019 in Antioch, CA.

Ray was born and raised in Watsonville, CA. with brothers Allen and Robert and a sister, Doris. The Gourleys were a staple in Watsonville for many years. After graduating from Watsonville High School Ray worked for the high school as a janitor for a few years. He married his high school sweetheart Ruth Anderson in 1943 and they were married for 57 years until Ruth's death in 2001.

Ray was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed in Panama guarding the Panama Canal. He took a cruise to the Panama Canal with his son and wife when he was 93. He loved it but said it looked different than when he was stationed there in 1944 ! After the war he got a job at PG&E and was Head Meter Reader for Santa Cruz County for 30 years. He always joked that he had been to every address in Santa Cruz County. He lived in Watsonville most of his life. His son John Gourley was born in the same Watsonville Hospital where Ray was born.

Ray loved playing golf, was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and attended the First Christian Church doing lots of voluntary chores at the church. He was working at the church when he had a heart attack in 1997. He had heart surgery and then had surgery for colon cancer and lung cancer, all about the same time.

His son John Gourley of Antioch persuaded them to move to Antioch to be closer. They moved to Cypress Meadows Assisted Living (Now TreVista) in Antioch. Unfortunately Ruth passed away there after only 6 months. Ray lived at Tre Vista for 19 years. He loved living there with all the activities and entertainment. He could walk to stores and all his doctors too. He loved to walk and walked every day of his life. After his heart attack he started walking and going further and further, building up endurance. Sometimes he would walk to the Post Office and back, about 3 miles. At Tre Vista he said there were 150 steps from his room to the dinning room! Walking was the secret to his long life.

Ray was a gentle, amazing man and loving father. He lived 20 years after surviving three serious surgeries. He was always friendly, funny and he seemed to know everything. We called him Father Time. He knew how to fix anything, knew trivia facts, literature (he loved Mark Twain), bible studies etc. You could ask him anything. Everyone loved him and he will be greatly missed.

Ray is survived by his son John Gourley and wife Chris of Brentwood, grandson Michael Gourley and wife Telzey, great grandsons Mason and Cameron of Pleasant Hill, and granddaughter Allison Martin and husband Jon, great grandsons Jackson and Ryan Martin of Fairfield.

A private family service was held in November.

Published in The Pajaronian · December 23, 2019