Surry
Dennis “Ray” McDonald passed away unexpectedly on July 29, 2021, at his beloved home on Morgan’s Bay in Surry, in the comfort of one of his oldest and dearest friends, John Poulin, after a complication that stemmed from a long-term illness.
Ray was born on Jan. 7, 1951, to his late parents, Arthur E. McDonald and Hortense Ray McDonald of Ellsworth. He grew up on Youngs Avenue with his cherished big brother, Patrick, and many close neighborhood friends. Together, they spent many hours playing baseball at the American Legion Hall, playing informal football games with friends, Gene and Ricky Hooper, on Bridge Hill, fishing at Leonard Lake or off the Union River Bridge, swimming at Wakefield’s Beach on Bayside and riding bikes to and from the White Birches Golf Course, where they played golf and collected lost golf balls to sell. Ray loved the outdoors and to be in nature. He and his brother joined the Scouts, where he learned many skills that were carried into his adult years — tracking, hunting and fishing. There wasn’t a fishing hole or stretch of water Ray didn’t explore in Hancock County or Washington County. He enjoyed annual fishing trips deep into Canada (in Northern Quebec) in the most remote areas, far from civilization; those trips were a big part of his adult life. He became an avid hunter in his adult years, and almost every season tagged a deer. Being in the quiet of the woods was truly an enjoyable and significant part of his life.
Ray was a happy-go-lucky kid who loved a good prank, paired with a little (or a lot) of mischief. Legendary tales of the commotion he caused in and around town were often recounted by family, friends or Ray, himself. Some stories need not be repeated, but if you know, you know! Ray truly loved to be active and play sports, particularly baseball. He and his brother were taught how to swing a bat and throw a ball as soon as they could stand. Their father was born in the Bronx and was a huge New York Yankees fan, which had a major influence on Ray. They listened to games on the radio with their dad and watched the games on TV when they were able to, as well. His brother, Patrick, recalled how exciting it was to go to Ray’s best friend, Buddy Wood’s, house to watch the World Series in color — a first for both Ray and Patrick. Despite a little playful teasing from his friends, Ray remained a proud Yankees fan for his entire life. Baseball ran deep in Ray’s veins and as soon as he could play organized baseball, he did! He joined Little League and played for the Hawks team, coached by his father. He could play any position, but in those days, you could find him mostly catching or pitching — eventually finding his place on the mound or playing shortstop.
Ray attended the Bryant E. Moore School, beginning his formative years as an exceptional student-athlete. He graduated in 1965 and went on to attend Ellsworth High School. There, he continued to be active in playing sports. He was truly an extraordinary competitor with endless athleticism, ability and a strong work ethic that made him a strong competitor in whatever sport he played, whether it be soccer, basketball or, most passionately, baseball. Ray was a four-year varsity, star pitcher and infielder (mostly shortstop) for the Ellsworth Eagles, most notably known for throwing a no-hitter against Hampden his senior year. Ray was remembered as a hard-nosed player with grit and talent, who always demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship. Off the field, during a fateful encounter, Ray was asked to drive Susan Carter (McDonald) home from school one day when a mutual friend was unable to. That ride home would begin their fairytale-like love story! They became inseparable, high school sweethearts, even earning their classmates’ vote for Class Couple for senior superlatives. Though, they both went on to attend different colleges, they still remained close. Ray was recruited to play baseball at the University of Southern Maine, in Portland-Gorham, where he would often hitchhike to and from, as his family didn’t own a vehicle. One of Ray’s first days on campus a Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity brother mistook Ray’s EHS letterman’s jacket for a TKE jacket. After the two got to talking, he convinced Ray to join their fraternity. Ray made many close friends during those days and may have been the fraternity’s only member who bartended for social events, but never drank a drop of alcohol. Ray quickly made a name for himself once again on the baseball field, where he quickly became one of the top players in the program. Ray was known as one of the best shortstops in the state. He held three different school records for stolen bases in a game (4), stolen bases in a season (20) and runs scored in a season. These records stood for many years even though Ray’s team played in 22 games compared to the 40-plus games played today. He still holds the school record for stolen bases in a game and remains in the top 15 for stolen bases in a season. Ray was team captain in 1973, while also being voted as team MVP in both 1972 and 1973. Ray was even asked to play in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League during his college years but declined, as he wanted to spend his summer closer to home and with the love of his life (who was unaware of the invitation until years later). Ray was later inducted into the University of Southern Maine Huskie Hall of Fame in 1990, a special event his whole family proudly attended in Portland.
After proudly graduating from USM, in 1973, with a degree in history, Ray returned to Ellsworth to marry his soulmate, Susan. They were married on Aug. 11, 1973, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Ellsworth, where Ray was an active, lifelong member. With the help of his father-in-law, Almon Carter, they built their house on Susan’s family land on Morgan’s Bay in Surry. There, they began expanding their family, while beginning their respective careers. Ray began his teaching career at Hancock Grammar School, where he taught for eight years. He was a beloved teacher and coach who impacted the lives of many of his former students; in fact, many continued to stay in touch with him throughout his life. It was hard for Ray to walk down the street without a former student stopping him to say hello. Ray spent his summers off, bartending at The Round Up Country Bar in Ellsworth, with his lifelong friend, Jimmy Card, working as the bouncer. They met some impressive country singers that later became superstars in the industry. Ray made many friends there and had plenty of wild stories to share. Ray and Jimmy loved to flip quarters with patrons for drinks, “double or nothing.” Ray also spent many enjoyable hours in the summer with his best friend, Buddy Wood, working for Jack Scott in Ellsworth’s Recreation Department. The two made quite a pair working on the fields, coaching and occasionally “borrowing” a few items from The Snack Shack to share with the kids. Among some of the tales of those summers, one story really stood out. Ray and Buddy let Jack’s son, Dick, who was not of driving age, zip around the fields in one of their cars. The fun didn’t stop until Dick crashed the car through one of the outfield’s fences they had recently erected. A mad scramble ensued to fix the fence before Jack arrived, as he undoubtedly would have been less than impressed. Despite Ray and Buddy’s sometimes questionable decision making, they were loved by all and made an extremely positive impression on many of the young kids in the Ellsworth community.
After eight wonderful years of teaching history, Ray embarked on a new adventure — building a business of his own. With the help of his friend, Charlie McGraw, Ray decided to start his landscaping business, Ray McDonald and Sons Inc. He bought a truck and a tractor and away he went. He spent the next 40 years of his life building his business and making many more friends along the way. All three of his boys worked with Ray at different times in their lives, from a young age to adulthood, something he was so proud to share. Matt and Torrey would go on to pursue other career opportunities, while Ray and his son, Rick, continued to work hard, building a successful business that Ray was extremely proud of. Even Ray’s best friends, Buddy Wood and Larry Wilson, joined the crew after each one retired — he truly enjoyed being with them, his son Rick and their many crew members over the years. Ray was one of the hardest workers you could ever meet, and he truly loved what he did. He worked until the day he passed.
Ray’s greatest accomplishment, however, was raising his four children, Matt, Torrey, Rick and Layne. He was an engaging, hands-on dad who never seemed to tire or run out of energy. His wife, Susan, used to say, “He [was] the biggest kid of them all.” She used to adoringly recall the days that he’d come home from a long day of work and grab a bucket of balls and play with the kids outside, until dark. He taught his kids to fish and hunt and what it meant to work hard. He led by example in everything he did and instilled in his kids. Ray and Susan spent the years following their kids’ sporting events, all over Maine and New England; they never missed a single event. Ray took an active role in coaching. He coached the boys in Little League and Olympic League Baseball, and his daughter’s grammar school basketball team. He also spent countless hours hitting fly balls, running infield practice or throwing endless hours of batting practice to all of his kids and their friends. He would continue this as he volunteered his time to the Ellsworth Eagles varsity baseball team; he was always there to offer his support and encouragement to the team. Many of the kids were amazed by Ray’s arm, as he could consistently throw strikes without ever tiring. He would even stay after practice and throw additional BP to those who wanted to stay and hit. His positive impact is still remembered by many of his kids’ teammates and friends. Kids gravitated to him, so it was no surprise that his home would become a special spot to not only his children, but their closest friends. If you didn’t have a place to go or even if you did, it was inside the McDonald household that you found a loving place that you belonged to. He made everyone that entered feel special and welcome. He and Susan were happiest with a full house of happy kids, laughing and making memories of their own! Ray treasured his family and spent his life exemplifying his love. He extended that love to his daughter-in-law, Sara, who he adoringly referred to as his “Guardian Angel” and his son-in-law, Andy, who could do no wrong in his eyes — even though both he and Sara are Red Sox fans. He was able to meet and spend time with his son, Torrey’s, girlfriend, Shawn, before he passed. He really enjoyed meeting her and looked forward to getting to know her more. He was a true hero to each of his kids, and a source of their light and strength. He loved each one of them deeply and you could see it in the way he looked at each of them. He was an extremely proud father.
As his kids began expanding their own families, he settled into yet another treasured role, as grandfather, better known as Grumpies (a title coined by his first grandchild, Mason, after Grumpa just didn’t stick). He was the biggest kid at heart until the day he passed, never passing up on an opportunity to play- and boy, could he play! His four grandchildren, Mason, Oaklee, Chase and Beckham were a huge source of light in his life. If he wasn’t stuffing his grandchildren’s pockets full of M&Ms, he was stuffing them with five-dollar bills. He loved giving them rides on his back or finding a little mischief that would have Grammy questioning his judgment or scolding him to behave. He shared his love for the outdoors with special visits to camp or Man’s Meadow and loved to take the kids fishing and boating. He could be caught throwing snowballs at the windows the kids stood at to wave goodbye after a visit, and would playfully drive away honking his horn, throwing on his hazard lights or blinkers, while also flashing his high beams — anything to put a smile on his grandchildren’s faces. He loved to talk history with Mason, teach him how to safely operate and fire a gun and put together model airplanes and boats. He thoroughly enjoyed tea parties and sleepovers with his only granddaughter, Oaklee. Chase could sit with Grumpies, forever at the table, and play with kinetic sand or roll balls across the floor, while Beckham loved to play on the floor with his Grumpies, driving cars and trucks. He is greatly missed by each of them, as he had a monumental impact on their lives, but they carry his memory in their hearts and the best parts of him will continue to live deep inside each one!
Ray is finally reunited with the love of his life, Susan, after a painful two months without her. Their daughter, Layne, and her brothers, Matt, Torrey, Rick and his wife, Sara, never stopped loving or caring for either one of them until their untimely deaths. Ray and Susan are eternally grateful and proud.
Ray was predeceased by his parents, Arthur E. McDonald and Hortense (Ray) McDonald. He is survived by his cherished brother, Patrick McDonald, and his treasured children, Matt McDonald, Torrey McDonald and girlfriend, Shawn, Richard McDonald and wife, Sara, and their children, Mason and Chase, and Layne Cough and husband, Andy, and their children, Oaklee and Beckham; and also countless special friends and family members. He will forever be in our hearts.
Per Ray’s request, a private service will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Surry Historical Society, P.O. Box 17, Surry, ME 04684.
Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin St., Ellsworth.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.