Updated 3:44pm 7/9/18
Governor Ray will lay in state at the Iowa Capitol building Thursday afternoon and evening.
A brief ceremony will occur at 5 p.m. when he will be brought into the first floor Rotunda by Iowa Air and Army Guard troops, Iowa State Troopers, and the Des Moines Police.
Security checkpoints will be utilized and citizens will be able to pass by Governor Ray’s casket and pay their respects between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
The funeral for Governor Ray will be held Friday at the First Christian Church at 25th and University in Des Moines, near Drake University where Ray also served as president.
The service will begin at 1 p.m. and be live streamed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 or at https://alumni.drake.edu/RayCenterSupport.
You may also leave your remembrance of Governor Ray on The Ray Center website at https://raycenter.wp.drake.edu/guestbook/
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Robert D. Ray, Iowa’s 38th governor, died Sunday morning in Des Moines at age 89.
David Oman, Ray’s former chief of staff, says Ray was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and died peacefully of natural causes.
OC………Drake University. ;13
Ray was elected governor in 1968 and re-elected four times.
Ken Quinn also worked in Ray’s office and credits him for being at the forefront to help refugees from the Vietnam War:
OC………..live in freedom. ;24
Governor Ray is survived by his wife Billie, three daughters and eight grandchildren.
Plans for celebrating the life of Robert Ray will be announced later.
Updated 10:20am 7/9/18 Radio Iowa
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Robert D. Ray, Iowa’s 38th governor, died Sunday morning in Des Moines at age 89.
David Oman, Ray’s former chief of staff, says Ray was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and died peacefully of natural causes.
Ray was elected governor in 1968 and re-elected four times, serving a total of 14 years.
He later served as CEO of two insurance firms.
In the late 1990s, Ray was acting mayor of Des Moines and then president of Drake University.
Gov. Ray is survived by his wife Billie, three daughters and eight grandchildren.
Plans for celebrating the life of Gov. Ray will be announced later.