Thursday, December 20, 2007

Rest in Peace Lieutenant Colonel Ray Plumley, M.D.

Sphere: Related Content

Let me tell you about a remarkable man who passed on last Sunday evening. That man is Lt. Col. Ray Plumley, United States Air Force.

Ray grew up in a sleepy little town in Western Massachusetts named Monson. Monson is the type of town that is Norman Rockwell-esque, far enough away from the big city that the residents don't even have that irritating Boston accent. Ray grew up riding snow mobiles in the winter and motorcycles in the summer and anything else he could in between. Whether it was playing soccer or water skiing, Ray was good at it.

Ray was nominated to attend the US Air Force Academy in 1985 by Ted Kennedy I believe and while there excelled. He graduated with honors in 1989 with a BS in Operations Research and moved on to his first duty station--pilot training. Ray flew Hueys at Vandenberg AFB in California for three years. He rose to the rank of Captain.

Although he enjoyed flying, he wanted more and when Ray put his mind to something, there was no stopping him. He set his sights on earning a medical doctorate and anyone who knew Ray knew he would succeed. He passed the required tests and was accepted into Georgetown University where he spent four years and eventually did indeed earn that degree. He moved on to his residency at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Later, he worked as a physician in Germany.

In 2003, now Major Plumley was deployed to Ul Udeid AB in Qatar and was now a military physician in a theater of war. That same year he was awarded the 52nd Medical Group Physician of the Year.

Along the way, Ray met a beautiful woman and knowing a good thing when he saw it, he married her. They traveled to Costa Rica twice on medical missions and were a great couple. They eventually had two beautiful twin daughters who are now six-years old.

Along the way, Ray earned numerous medals and citations including the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Airforce Commendation Medal, the AF Outstanding Unit Award with valor device and several others. But still, he was Ray. He still rode motorcycles and still rock climbed but most of all, he worked at the most demanding of jobs--being a Dad.

Ray eventually returned to Andrews where he served as a Teaching Family Physician and showed the interns how a doctor should perform their duties. From all accounts I've heard from co-workers whether enlisted, officer or civilian, Ray was an excellent physician.

How do I know all this you may ask? Ray Plumley is my cousin. The first time I ever stayed up past midnight when I was a kid was with Ray. The first time I rode a snow mobile or water skied was with Ray. We all have memories that stay with us from when we were young, the ones that stay forever imbedded while others fade away. The memories of going up to Monson and seeing my cousin Ray Ray are ones that remain vivid.

I hadn't seen Ray as much as I'd have liked this last decade, what with having kids in sports and other activities and the basic demands of life. I regret that now. Life is full of regrets and this is one that will stay with me because it can't be changed.

For those who knew Ray and stumble upon this via Google or other search engine, welcome and please share your thoughts on Ray below. E-mail me at sswenviron@verizon.net when you do so I can read what you've written. For those who never met Ray, I feel bad that you never had the opportunity because he wouldn't have been just Ray, he'd also be known as friend.

Update: How much of an effect did Ray have on people? Judge for yourself by reading this.

Update: Here's the Legacy page where you can leave condolences for the family.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it's almost been a year since Ray's passed away and I've just read what you've written, which was great to read. Ray and my mom are cousins and I grew up in Monson. I "googled" Ray (I can just imagine his smile about this!)today because I wanted to see if anything was written or done to honor this amazing man. In April of this year, my husband's cousin, who happened to be about the same age, also passed away suddenly. His family runs a website to honor him and runs road races often for him. This got me thinking about what everyone is doing for Ray.
Ray was much older than I but he always made me feel special. He always took the time to talk to me when he was back in town and sincerely cared about what I was up to. I remember and miss his strong hugs and bright smile. My sister and I got to go to his wedding and that was such a special honor because we have a huge family and we were just kids. Later, when he graduated from Georgetown, my mom and I got to go, which was also a treasure to me. Even though it was a hectic time with his graduation, Ray took the time to show me the track at the University and the honors that runners had earned because he knew that I would like that, I was running in high school. That's just the kind of guy he was, he always made me and everyone he came in touch with feel special. That's the kind of person I want to be.

Jacob Swain said...

I was stationed with Dr. Plumley at Spangdahlem AB, Germany and deployed with him to Al Udeid. When we were in Germany I had to wake him up in the middle of the night on several occasions. I worked in the ER and he was occasionally the on-call doctor. Even though I would call at 2 or 3 in the morning, he would always try to carry on a conversation with me. He would ask how I was doing, how life was in the ER, etc. It was funny because I knew was tired, but he was still personable. Plus, he was the only doctor who ever did that. Everyone else just sounded exhausted or frustrated. It said a lot about who he was.

When we were in Qatar he set a solid example for how to manage an organization. He was disciplined, communicated well, and always maintained his bearing. I learned a lot from him and look back on his examples frequently.

Allen Knapp said...

I was one year behind Ray at the Air Force Academy. He was always fair and kind to the underclassmen, and I looked up to him. I did not keep in touch over the years and I wish I had. Ray will be missed by many. He was a great man! -Allen Knapp

Tee Tung said...

Well it's Memorial Day in 2014 and I was reflecting on my fellow classmates who passed away since graduation from the AF Academy in 1989. Ray Plumley came up. I really didn't know him while I was a cadet, so I decided to Google him and sure indeed I came across your blog. Thanks for teaching more about what Dr Ray was like.

There is a class memorial at the Academy and his name is on it.

Here's a link to the photo of the memorial....
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151687380046098&l=65c816b0f0

Anonymous said...

Though I do not know much about his childhood or college years, I know that Ray was an amazing man. He was kind and gentle. he loved his wife and daughters more than anything in the world and treated them with respect. He loved beer and was wicked smart, though he was clueless about some things. He loved visiting his family in Monson on the small dairy farm he grew up on. It has been seven years since Ray died. I was able to go to the funeral. I remember the pain on the daughter's faces the tears that wouldn't end, the denial as the wife was handed the American flag. How do I know all this without knowing much of his past? Easy, I'm one of his twin daughters. I came upon this article when I googled my dad's name after visiting his family. I sit here now crying after finally getting some stories of my dad from his college years and missing him so much. Thank you.

And with that I have one last thing to say.

I miss and love you Daddy.

Anonymous said...

Though I do not know much about his childhood or college years, I know that Ray was an amazing man. He was kind and gentle. he loved his wife and daughters more than anything in the world and treated them with respect. He loved beer and was wicked smart, though he was clueless about some things. He loved visiting his family in Monson on the small dairy farm he grew up on. It has been seven years since Ray died. I was able to go to the funeral. I remember the pain on the daughter's faces the tears that wouldn't end, the denial as the wife was handed the American flag. How do I know all this without knowing much of his past? Easy, I'm one of his twin daughters. I came upon this article when I googled my dad's name after visiting his family. I sit here now crying after finally getting some stories of my dad from his college years and missing him so much. Thank you.

And with that I have one last thing to say.

I miss and love you Daddy.

Scott said...

Honey, I hope you respond to this. I left this blog for a year or so and just activated your comment. Your dad was a good man and yes, he did like beer (I drank many with him) and yes, he was wicked smart. He loved you and your sister more than anything. He was an awesome man and an awesome dad. My son is--your cousin--is now in the Air Force and is following a legacy in this family--on both sides--of service. I love you honey and wish I knew you.

Uncle Scott

Anonymous said...

You're right - my parents were a great couple! The love they had for one another (and she still has for him) was the epitome of true love - my sister and I are a result of that. My mom has continued to care for us as they had planned and has done an amazing job. She's the strongest woman I know! Like you said, my Dad knew a good thing when he saw it and married her. 😀 I don't know you. Are you a Plumley? I hope your son likes the Air Force. My family will include him in our prayers.

Al Brewster said...

Ray was a thoughtful student and became a great friend, his wife Deborah, his daughters Rachel and Sam, family medicine and in truth the world lost an untelligent loving human being when we lost Dr. Ray Plumley Very Respectfully Al Brewster PhD