Sadly, Ray passed away the morning of November 20 as a result of an abdominal issue commencing the previous evening. He was born May 6, 1928 in his Grandma Nord's farm house, 5 miles east of Assiniboia, the first of 14 children to Frank and Emma Blatchford. He grew up in a farm house a mile and a half away and attended Lethburn School located on the Nord home quarter. In the midst of the Depression and War his childhood was a good one with family and relatives. Brothers are Ken, Bill and Larry and sisters Irene, Edith, Maxine, Betty, Frances, Faye, Karen, Gail, Patsy, and Bonnie.
Finishing Grade 8 in 1942, at 14 years of age he was driving both a team of horses and a truck hauling harvested grain for neighbors. The family moved to Moose Jaw that Halloween and being late for high school he got a job with the McBrides grocery and bakery chain working in their warehouse, bakery and retail stores. He quickly bought a suit and a dress coat and looking much older was soon frequenting the many bars and pool halls of the day with like-minded underage buddies. He liked skating at the outdoor rink by Robin Hood and attending Canuck games at the old downtown arena.
In 1949 he began working at Weston Bakeries next to Memorial Field in the wrapping and shipping department. He was proficient with numbers and balancing daily results and soon was transferred into the management office to do production and sales bookeeping, retiring in 1988 as manager of the retail location. He bowled and curled for Weston company teams and enjoyed the many people he encountered there.
In 1950 he married a farm girl from Shaunavon, Mary Rosanne Livingstone, who had attended Normal School in Moose Jaw. He has had a life of love, devotion and caring for Mary and their only child, Bob.
His summer vacations were all at harvest time to Shaunavon to help the in-laws, Ace and Maxine on the farm. Annual trips were taken to Alberta and B.C. visiting family and traveling with Ken and Theresa.
Ray was a member and curling skip for 42 years at the Moose Jaw and Hillcrest Curling clubs and a Hillcrest golf member over 20 years. He and Mary were members and are Lifetime Members of the Moose Jaw and District Seniors club at the Eatons' building since 1988, volunteering help for and playing cards and shuffleboard.
My Dad had a large garden each year, and in retirement played golf 3 times a week with me at the Hillcrest. We liked driving around and going out for snacks and meals in Moose Jaw and Regina. He attended Canuck and Warrior games. He read and retained information from newspapers, the
Western Producer and others. He was happier spending winter in Moose Jaw than being in Arizona.
He was close to his parents, visiting weekly and helping them out as they aged. Sunday afternoons
were a time for cribbage for quarters with his Dad.
Dad was blessed to have lived nine and a half decades in generally good health, in his home, with a good mind and mobility. Mom and I are enormously thankful to have shared in his Journey.
Thanks to family and friends for expressions of sympathy, attending paramedics, nurses and doctors and Michelle and Gary at Moose Jaw Funeral Home. Interment shall not be immediate and a service is not being planned.
