The late Ray Nye may have committed more hours to his community than anyone — but that was only part of his story.
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A pillar of the Cobram-Barooga community, those with the fortune to know Ray could testify that he was as much a devoted husband, father and grandfather as he was a legend of the local sporting world.
Such was the depth and breadth of Ray’s impact on this world that over 500 guests attended his funeral service on Saturday, March 22.
The casual observer need not search far to see the legacy Ray left behind.
Whether in his children and grandchildren, his five life memberships, three Hall of Fame inductions, his OAM, his Australian Sports Medal or the Ray Nye stand named after him, Ray left an outsized mark on the many communities through which he passed.
Ray was born to Arch and Vera Nye in 1939 in Melbourne.
He was the youngest of nine children, who have all since passed away.
He would go on to acquire three nicknames: ‘Gunna’, ‘Chummy’ and ‘Grumpy’.
The latter may seem out of character for Ray, but ‘Grumpy’ has its origins from Ray’s cricket days when, as a player, you bore the skipper’s wrath when you dropped a catch or went out for a low score.
At age 25, while working at the Seppelts Vineyard Barooga, Ray met the woman who would become his wife.
Two years later, Di and Ray married on December 10, 1966.
Three years later, the married couple’s first child, Dean, was born, followed by Chris in 1972 and Allison in 1977.
Ray’s delight in his children’s achievements was a testament to his love for them, something that grew only stronger when his six grandchildren arrived.
Ray had an illustrious career in cricket, football and lawn bowls.
During his long tenure at the Barooga Cricket Club, Ray won three premierships in the Murray Valley Cricket Association.
A highly respected coach, player and skipper, Ray was named Barooga A-grade Club Champion in 1977 and 1978.
He gave back to the club by coaching the under-16s for four years.
In 1981, Ray received life membership of the Barooga Cricket Club.
That was followed, in 1993, with a life membership of the MVCA.
More recently, in 2015, Ray was inducted into the MVCA Hall of Fame.
On the football field, Ray was a talented centre-half forward for the Barooga Football Club. His career was cut short by injury, by Ray still played in three premiership-winning senior sides from 1959 to 1961.
He was awarded life membership for his service to the club after many years on the committee and two years as club president.
Off the sporting field, Ray spent three decades on the board of directors at the Barooga Sports Club. His tenure at the club encompassed time as secretary, director (1980-98, 1992-2002) and president (2002-2010).
He received life membership of the club in 1991.
Ray turned his sporting talent to lawn bowls in the mid-1990s. After a successful stint with the Cobram Bowling Club, Ray went on to be instrumental in the successful formation of the Barooga Bowling Club in 1998.
There he enjoyed a staggering seven division one flags amid a three-time Club Singles Championship crown and two-time Club 4s Championship.
In 2000, Ray’s dedication to local sports was recognised with the coveted Australian Sports Medal for his services to sport.
A Life Membership of the Murray Bowls Association came 23 years later, and he was a Hall of Fame inductee this year.
If you had tuned in to 98.5 ONEFM of a weekend over the past 20 years, you’d have heard the voice of Ray hosting the Saturday morning Murray Bowls show.
Ray served for 45 continuous years on the Barooga Recreation Reserve Committee of Management, where his dedication to developing the facilities and upkeep of the turf wickets on both ovals could not go unnoticed.
His time with the committee included 23 years as secretary/treasurer and 22 years as president.
He was recognised for his contribution to the reserve when the stand on the reserve’s west wing was named after him.
Today, the Ray Nye Stand remains a testament to its namesake’s unyielding dedication to the community he loved.
For the past 15 years, Ray was a major driver behind the Barooga Cemetery Trust. As part of his involvement, Ray could be found on any day tending to the cemetery’s flora, making it the showpiece it is today.
He was named Berrigan Shire Citizen of the Year in 2003, and for his services to the community, Ray was honoured with the Order of Australia Medal in 2016.
Here was a man whose devotion to community causes was transcended only by his dedication to his family and friends.
Vale Ray Nye.
Cadet journalist