Rays funeral was held on the 5th August 2005 in Crematario de Mijas in Spain.  His body was laid out in a glass coffin and the sound of The Commitments filled the viewing room prior to the service.  A number of very strange occurances happened at his funeral including the words to the song Dock of the bay disappearing.  To this day we dont know how it happened as there was no instrumental version on the cd.  It was as if Ray was saying  this is my song.   After the service his grandson Joshua was holding a stereo and suddenly Mustang Sally started to play yet there were no batteries in the stereo. 

Songs played::

Ive been loving you too long

Dock of the Bay

A beautiful reading was given by Peter Simms.

Rays ashes were then scattered at sea opposite Cheers & Manhattan restaurant in Torreblanca where he spent many a sunday afternoon floating on his lilo.

Ray loved working out in the gym.  After becoming a black belt in karate in the 70s he decided he needed a new challenge in life.  As a keen diver with a number of speed boats to his name he decided he needed to build his then very slight physique.  He began weight training and in 1987 he won the seniors Mr Britain at the winter gardens and went on to win body building trophies incuding Mr London, Mr South East England and Mr Titan.  Ray had his own plumbing firm but always wanted to leave the uk for warmer places.  In January 1999  Ray moved to Spain with his wife, daughter and grandson.  He lived in a beautiful area of Torreblanca and his conversational spanish left so much to be desired.  The poor workers in Sanitubo didnt know what had hit them when Ray walked in to buy plumbing materials and spoke a very dodgy spanglish.