Raymon E. "Ray" Dore
passed away July 6, 2009, at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.
Ray was born to Fred and Velma Hollibaugh Dore in Perry, Mo. He graduated from Perry High School, Quincy (Ill.) Business College, and St. Louis University. He worked for Falstaff Brewing as an accountant before moving to Lebanon, Mo., where he was a co-founder of Empire Gas and was CFO and treasurer.
Needing a new challenge after growing Empire to a publicly traded company, Ray and his family moved to Bozeman where he founded Veltkamp, Dore & Co. with Sherm Veltkamp. Ray left the firm when he was appointed director of the Department of Revenue and then chief of staff to Gov. Tom Judge.
He returned to Bozeman, then soon after he was appointed assistant director of the Department of Revenue by Gov. Rudy Perpich. His career changed direction again when he returned to Montana as director of the Montana Community Foundation in Helena, then back to Bozeman as president of the MSU Foundation. He then worked as a stockbroker before retiring.
He was also active in the Montana Society of CPAs. He was most proud of his score on the ethics section of the stockbroker exam, and helping charitable groups in Montana gain nonprofit designation.
Throughout his life Ray was an avid hunter and fisherman, St. Louis Cardinals fan, loved sailing on Canyon Ferry, coaching baseball, and being a soccer dad. He made many friends in the Rotary and Lions clubs. He was also a great history buff. He loved learning about the Civil War and spent countless hours tracking the path of his Confederate great-grandfather. He enjoyed reading everything from biographies of Civil War generals to roadside signs telling about the area. A cup of coffee and a good book and he was a happy camper.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents and his only daughter, Debbie.
He is survived by his wife, Terri; his children, Chris (Tami) of Williamsburg, Va., Jason (Dawn-Marie) of Reston, Va., and Brendan (fiancée, Katie) of Bozeman; grandchildren, Alexandra and Josh of Williamsburg; stepsons, Cordell of Durango, Colo., and Trevor (Susannah) of Logan, Utah; lifelong friends, Glenn Rauh and Jim Wells; mother-in-law, Catherine White of Butte; brothers-in-law, Jack (Barb) White of Hillsboro, Ore., and Jim (Leslie) White of Bozeman; sisters-in-law, Patti (Dave) Cole of Anchorage, Alaska, and Lorri (Klint) Borozan of Naperville, Ill.; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Amos House, c/o Paul Thomas, P.O. Box 11194, Bozeman, MT 59719-1194; or to the charity of your choice.
Services will be held on Saturday, July 11, at United Methodist Church, 121 S. Willson Ave., Bozeman. There will be a time to visit with the family at 10 a.m. and a memorial service at 10:45 a.m., followed by a light lunch.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service; www.dokkennelson.com.
Published in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle on 7/9/2009