Obituary for Raymond Alexander "Ray" Conant
Raymond Conant was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and was the second of 3 boys and 1 girl. He was 89 when he passed away in hospice care in British Columbia, in the presence of his children and loved ones.
Ray was a pilot of more than 63 years – both fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. Starting out as an air cadet, his flying adventures were many, including crop-dusting, commercial flying (with a vast array of jobs!), flight instructor, and flying for recreation. In his later years he dreamed of flying an ultralight into the mountains to fish for grayling.
Ray met his first wife in Illinois while studying at seminary college. Upon moving back to Canada in the early 60s he served as a pastor in Alberta where he designed and helped build a rural church near Edmonton. After training to be a helicopter pilot, the family made their way North-west, settling in the Yukon where he worked for many years flying helicopter. In 1969, in a new adventure, he designed and built Tincup Lake Wilderness Lodge. Ray left the Yukon for BC in the early ‘70s and continued to work primarily in Canada’s West. There he met his second wife, Doreen, who shared his passion of flying, faith, and even motorcycles!
As age and health would have it, Ray was eventually grounded. This did not end his passion though and he kept in regular contact with the flying community both locally and with friends across North America and abroad. He loved going for coffee at the Pitt Meadows airport to exchange experiences with like-minded folks, both before and after ‘retirement! He wrote a self-published book, “Helicopter Flying for Fun and Profit”, and had several articles published in flying magazines. Ray has owned twenty aircraft over his lifetime including two helicopters and two homebuilt airplanes. To quote from his book “Helicopters are definitely the funnest thing ever – by far!”.
This may sound like an anthology about his flying career, but he was also an avid student of theology, a nutrition and alternative medicine aficionado, operated a health store, and expressed his artistic side by dabbling with paint.
Ray has also made many friends in the faith community and the family would like to acknowledge the wonderful support they, and all of his friends, have provided him as his mobility decreased as well as during his more recent and sudden illness.
Thank you to Jim, for accompanying Ray’s journey from this life through music. The family would also like to acknowledge the care Ray received from Fraser Valley Home Care Services, Ridge Meadows Hospital, and McKenney Creek Hospice. We appreciate so much all of those who continue to provide health care into this second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ray is survived by his brother Don; children Matthew (Susanne), Cheryl, Alison (Ken); grandchildren Sheldon (Leena), Chase, Kurtis, Lucas, Brennan; and great grandchildren Jaxon and Ayla. He is predeceased by his first wife Lynne, and second wife Doreen; his parents Laurence and Margaret; and siblings Reg and Eleanor.
You can find more information Ray wrote about his life as a pilot at http://authoraviationhistory.weebly.com/
To Fly is Human – to Hover is Divine
Ray was a pilot of more than 63 years – both fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. Starting out as an air cadet, his flying adventures were many, including crop-dusting, commercial flying (with a vast array of jobs!), flight instructor, and flying for recreation. In his later years he dreamed of flying an ultralight into the mountains to fish for grayling.
Ray met his first wife in Illinois while studying at seminary college. Upon moving back to Canada in the early 60s he served as a pastor in Alberta where he designed and helped build a rural church near Edmonton. After training to be a helicopter pilot, the family made their way North-west, settling in the Yukon where he worked for many years flying helicopter. In 1969, in a new adventure, he designed and built Tincup Lake Wilderness Lodge. Ray left the Yukon for BC in the early ‘70s and continued to work primarily in Canada’s West. There he met his second wife, Doreen, who shared his passion of flying, faith, and even motorcycles!
As age and health would have it, Ray was eventually grounded. This did not end his passion though and he kept in regular contact with the flying community both locally and with friends across North America and abroad. He loved going for coffee at the Pitt Meadows airport to exchange experiences with like-minded folks, both before and after ‘retirement! He wrote a self-published book, “Helicopter Flying for Fun and Profit”, and had several articles published in flying magazines. Ray has owned twenty aircraft over his lifetime including two helicopters and two homebuilt airplanes. To quote from his book “Helicopters are definitely the funnest thing ever – by far!”.
This may sound like an anthology about his flying career, but he was also an avid student of theology, a nutrition and alternative medicine aficionado, operated a health store, and expressed his artistic side by dabbling with paint.
Ray has also made many friends in the faith community and the family would like to acknowledge the wonderful support they, and all of his friends, have provided him as his mobility decreased as well as during his more recent and sudden illness.
Thank you to Jim, for accompanying Ray’s journey from this life through music. The family would also like to acknowledge the care Ray received from Fraser Valley Home Care Services, Ridge Meadows Hospital, and McKenney Creek Hospice. We appreciate so much all of those who continue to provide health care into this second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ray is survived by his brother Don; children Matthew (Susanne), Cheryl, Alison (Ken); grandchildren Sheldon (Leena), Chase, Kurtis, Lucas, Brennan; and great grandchildren Jaxon and Ayla. He is predeceased by his first wife Lynne, and second wife Doreen; his parents Laurence and Margaret; and siblings Reg and Eleanor.
You can find more information Ray wrote about his life as a pilot at http://authoraviationhistory.weebly.com/
To Fly is Human – to Hover is Divine