Lone Pine loses a great friend, avid supporter

Community mourns the passing of Ray Powell, a man who dedicated his life to helping others

By Darcy Ellis, Editor

Rare is the man or woman who inspires such widespread respect, community action, deep admiration and love that 
he or she leaves an indelible legacy on the social, economic and historical fabric of an entire community.

And yet, that I exactly the kind of person that the Lone Pine community is saying goodbye to today.  It is with 
heavy hearts that the town's residents lay t heir beloved friend to rest, but according to close friends of Ray 
Powell, they do so with an indescribable gratitude at having known such a fine man.

"It's a great loss," said Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathleen New, "but by the same token, 
it was a great joy to have him here."  New, who has known for almost 50 years, will be one of hundreds of 
mourners gathered at the Lone Pine Church of the Nazarene today to reflect on the man, his many works and his 
invaluable contributions to the entire community.

Memorial services begin at 2:30 p.m.

Ray, a resident of Lone Pine for more than 50 years, died Feb. 8 at his home after a hard-fought battle with 
pancreatic cancer.  Even in illness, according to his loved ones, he displayed the courage, dedication and drive 
that earned him so much respect over the prior seven decades.

Those attributes blossomed during a military career with the U.S. Air Force that at one point saw him serving in 
the Korean War for nine months from 1950-51 as a reconnaissance pilot.  He completed 100 missions during that 
time, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross.  Even after leaving active service in 1954, Ray's commitment never 
waned.  He served in the Air Force Reserve until 1980, achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel, and also valued his 
role as a liaison officer for the USAF Academy, shepherding many Lone Pine youths into successful military 
careers of their own.

Providing such guidance and encouragement was something he took great pride in, Ray's longtime friend Chris 
Langley said.

Liaison officer was just one of many roles that suited Ray well, and which he devoted his time to.  Community 
service was his passion, Langley and other friends said, and over the years he served the  Lone Pine community 
as Lions Club president, Chamber of Commerce president (for seven years), president of Inyo Associates, a member 
of the Community Services District Board and as owner-manager of the Best Western Frontier Motel.  Ray also 
earned the title of co-founder of the Lone Pine Film Festival, and the distinction of being one of its hardest 
workers and biggest supporters.

It was Ray and his wife Kerry who helped nurture the fledgling affair into the world-renowned event it is today, 
New said.  "She had the idea and he put it together," New explained, "he was behind her all the while just 
making sure what she wanted happened."

She continued, "He was a hard worker with regard to community service, but he was always behind the scenes.  He 
supported any effort to create positive energy in the area" as well as any effort to promote the economy through 
business and tourism.

"He started a lot of things that Lone Pine benefited from," New added.  "He was instrumental in keeping the 
chamber going when, by everything that's holy, it shouldn't have been here.  He held it together through spirit, 
and finance."

Indeed, said Langley, Ray was so selfless that he was widely known as the man who would "do whatever had to be 
done."  If that meant pitching in his hard-earned dollars, fine.  If it meant many long hours at the proverbial 
drawing board, that was OK, too.  Raking leaves, flipping burgers - he was ready and willing to take on anything.

Langley, now the Inyo County Film Commissioner, worked closely with Ray on a number of film festival projects.  
He recalls the early days of the event, when its annual Friday night concerts weren't as popular as they are now.  
According to Langley, one year, there were about 100 tickets remaining with show time just hours away.  Ray took 
those tickets and walked up and down Main Street until every last one was sold.  Langley still doesn't know how 
Ray did it, but Langley explained it's just one of the many testaments to Ray's personality and boundless 
enthusiasm.

"That, to me, just kind of typified him," Langley said.  "He would do whatever had to be done."

Jaque Hickman, a friend of Ray and Kerry's since 1985 when she bought the land where Boulder Creek RV Park sits 
today, wholeheartedly agrees with the characterizations of Langley and others.  "He was just a great supporter," 
she said, "a very selfless person."

Many times, Ray and Hickman would attend the same community meeting (for the chamber, the film festival, 
whatever) and by the time she got home, she would find his car parked in her driveway, with Ray excited and eager 
to start planning some new project.

"I look at Lone Pine as a self-sustaining community --- we get done what we need to do, " Hickman continued,  
"and the momentum for a lot of that energy came from Ray."

"I don't remember him ever saying no to a plea for help on any community-based project.  I don't remember him 
even hesitating."

Anyone thinking of starting a community project, organization or event would not do so without giving Ray a call, 
Hickman recalled.  "He just had that ability to give 100 percent of himself," she said.

Indeed, Langley's very idea of a hero "is someone like Ray Powell," he said.  "Someone who recognizes their 
responsibilities and goes out and does whatever needs to be done to meet those needs."

"We're going to think about him every time we do something, because he was in the middle of it all." Said Dorothy 
Bonnefin, director of the Lone Pine Film Festival.

Bonnefin has known Ray since he moved to Lone Pine out of the service, and has known Kerry since she was a little 
girl.  Bonnefin is still in awe of Ray's hard work and dedication.

"Whenever there was anything needing to be done (for the film festival), he's who I'd call on," Bonnefin said.  
And, again, his work extended well beyond the film festival.

"There were so many things in the town that wouldn't have gotten done without Ray Powell," she said.  "He did a 
lot for the town that the people never knew about --- I don't know of anybody, anyplace who did more, gave more 
of themselves for an area more than he did."

Just as important as the community advocacy and support Ray provided was, quite simply, his friendship.  As grand 
as his service was, so was his personality.

"He was that kind of person that could always make things positive," Langley said.

One of Langley's favorite memories of Ray was several years ago, when Ray was president of the school board.  
Langley had assigned his students the task of making their own movies, and one student's chosen topic was the 
earthquake of 1872.  Sure enough, Ray soon offered to help, after suggesting that Langley and the student could 
get the best view of the quake's fault line by air.  Ray, ever the avid pilot, was set to take them up one 
Saturday morning, and after delaying takeoff for hours because of wind, eventually got them in the air.  Needless 
to say, it wasn't exactly a smooth ride.

"Ray told me he didn't  know a teacher much less a human being that could turen so green," Langley recalled.

One of New's fondest recollections about Ray was his love of aviation.  He flew as a charter pilot for Bob White's 
Flying Service in Lone Pine for more than 20 years, accumulating more than 7,000 hours of flying time.  "He loved 
to fly, ohmigod he loved to fly," New said.  "Any time was a good reason, a good day to fly."

Bonnefin recalled how Ray enjoyed flying passengers into the backcountry when the practice was still allowed.

New continued, "He was fun.  He had a sense of humor, and he was non-judgmental, it seemed to me.  And he loved 
telling stories.  It was so entertaining to listen to him."

Not surprisingly, many of his stories were about flying.  New had the chance back in October to interview Ray 
about his aviation career.  "I was young and I loved to fly airplanes." He told her.  "I wanted to be a good pilot.  
Every time I was sent on a mission I got to pilot an airplane.  I was 24 years old when I flew my 100th mission and 
looked forward to flying more.  I knew what we were doing was dangerous and I was very aware of the importance of 
the missions, but most of all I got to fly.  Did I say I loved to fly airplanes?"

His stories and humor and candor, New explained, will be missed just as much as Ray's community action.  "Lone Pine 
was very lucky to have him in our community," she said.  "I personally feel very, very fortunate."

Langley was privy to many of Ray's stories, which would often be told on a rock somewhere in the sagebrush, while 
the two men hunted with Ray's expert hunting dogs and Langley's two Dachshunds, which were obedience-school 
drop-outs.

During their talks, it became clear that Ray always knew, and sincerely cared about, the most minute details of 
someone's welfare and well-being.

"He had a way of knowing everything about the community, " Langely said, "in a good way, not a gossipy way, but in 
a very positive way."

Bonnefin agreed.  "He was very friendly, very interested in people," she said.

Langley and Bonnefin also described Ray as being ever humble, never asking for anything in return.  "So many things 
he did, he did them quietly, not asking for any certain recognition or anything."  Bonnefin explained.  "He just 
went out and did it."

And he carried himself with grace and dignity, even to the end.  "We're going to miss him terribly," Langley said.

According to Hickman, Ray never really let up, even after his diagnosis.  An avid fisherman and hunter, Ray took two 
hunters out for an entire day not too long ago, just so he could show the visitors around the area.

As he grew more ill, "they put the hospital bed in his front room and opened the door because he wanted to see 
everybody --- he had a hug for everybody that walked in."  Hickman said.

He was a loving family man, someone who always lent a shoulder and was always outgoing.

"We all just adored him," Hickman said.

Bonnefin said Ray was extremely proud of his family, "and he had every right to be."  Many of the compliments his 
friends have shared about Ray have been extended to his family.

And though Ray leaves a tremendous void, his friends and loved ones have said, he also left enough inspiration, and 
set such a shining example, that the community and its residents will still benefit from his guidance, love and 
support for decades to come.

It's like Ray's friend Elsie Ivey told Hickman: "You know, Lone Pine's going to need a least three new residents now 
that Ray's gone."  He did that much, and meant that much, to so many.

The Inyo Register, Bishop, Inyo County, California
Saturday, February 14, 2004 - Front Page
Transcribed by Pat Houser for Inyo County GenWeb, March 25, 2005