Ray Carter, age 83, of Sweet Home, Oregon passed away Tuesday his home.

Ray was born August 21, 1926 in Dayton, Ohio. He was one of nine children born to Robert and Josephine Mary (Tamme) Carter.

At the age of 18, Ray joined the US Navy and served active duty during World War II from 1944 to 1946. He returned to Dayton and worked for National Cash Register, the Hewlitt Soap Company, and began his apprenticeship as a plumber.

Ray officially started his career as a plumber in 1956 and moved to Portland, Oregon in 1967 where he worked for the Plumber, Steamfitter and Shipfitter Industry Local 290 until his retirement in 1988.

An avid pilot and aircraft enthusiast, Ray obtained his private pilot license in 1947. After moving to Sweet Home in 1992, he pursued his love of flying until his first encounter with cancer in 2002 at age 76.

Ray is survived by his best friend and loving companion of 26 years, Freddie Jane Meyers; daughters, Sandy Kasper of Erlanger, Kentucky, Kathy Supinger and Pam Kaiser of Dayton, and Sheila Johnson of Portland; sons, Tim Carter of Dayton and Joe Carter of Portland; step children, Thea DiNuzzo of Lompoc, California and Tim Meyers and Vanessa Conrad of Sweet Home; sisters, Jean Chiles of Kettering, Ohio and Jane Parks and Billie Shamel of Dayton; brother, Bob Carter of Riverside, Ohio; 28 grand and step grandchildren; and 19 great grand and step great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his siblings: Eileen, Charles, Peggy and Lester.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 14, at Riverside Christian Church, 42855 Green River Road in Sweet Home. A potluck will follow. A funeral mass will be conducted at 5:30 p.m., that same day at St. Helens Church, 600 Sixth Avenue, Sweet Home.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling services.