PARKERSBURG, W.Va. –– The former Executive Director of the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission Gary Ray has died. His death was announced by the WVSSAC on social media.
Ray was a longtime educator and coach and joined the WVSSAC in 2001 as Assistant Director. He later was elevated to the position of Executive Director where he served from 2007 to 2016.
Prior to his work with the SSAC, Ray was a teacher, coach, and principal in the Fayette County school system. He served there from 1971 until moving to the SSAC in 2001. Most recently Ray had served as a member of the Fayette County School Board. He was elected in 2018 and was a sitting member of the board at his time of death.
According to a statement from the Fayette County School system Ray is survived by his wife, Cindy Ray, a longtime Fayette County Pre-K teacher and noted his legacy continues through a grandson who works for the district as a teacher and coach.