Family and friends remember L. Ray Waller
An article that appeared in Stratford Beacon Herald by staff reporter Laura Cudworth on September 20, 2014. Printed here with permission.
A love of people and of the community
LAURA CUDWORTH Staff reporter
"Communities depend on people like Ray Waller."
This community depended on him and benefited because of him, Huron Perth Healthcare CEO Andrew Williams said.
Waller spent more than four decades in public service, sitting on the PUC and hospital boards as chair of the Area Committee of Ontario Legal Aid, among many other organizations.
Waller died Wednesday at the age of 85.
Born in Halifax, N.S., in 1929, he was ready to invest his time and considerable skill here by the time he made his way to Stratford in the 1960s, armed with a law degree from Dalhousie University.
He set up a law office, raised a family of four children with wife Margaret, and devoted his spare time to civil service.
"I think for Ray it was a love of people and of the community," said Mayor Dan Mathieson. The two had lunch together earlier this month and Waller, still spoke fondly of his time on the PUC and hospital board.
Though he was committed to the betterment of the city, he was always home for supper, said daughter Heidi Holdsworth.
"He taught all of us the value of being honest and generous. He was a fabulous role model. He showed us- he didn't need to tell us- he showed us friends and family are everything," she said.
He was an alderman in the 1960s, but it was in his post as a public utilities commissioner that he served the longest- 34 years in total. It should be noted the PUC, now Festival Hydro, once ran the city's buses, water and hydro.
"He was a very honourable gentleman. He did his homework and he was very knowledgeable when he came to a meeting," said Peter Switzer, general manager of the PUC and later president of Festival Hydro.
In fact, he had a reputation for making wise decisions, and his colleagues often leaned on him for advice or guidance.
"He had a very sharp mind. If I was not sure how to vote, I would listen to him and vote with him," said Keith Culliton, also a PUC commissioner for many years.
Waller also served on the Stratford Hospital Foundation and on the hospital board for about 20 years.
He was professional and smart, but no one would dare call him stuffy. It was impossible to predict what he might say in meetings, but it was usually colourful or wittily phrased.
"I remember the first time I might I met him outside of his (law) office, he was wearing a cowboy hat and he was larger than life," Williams said.
He was "unapologetically himself," Holdsworth said. He loved working downtown and was a lot of fun, she added, with loads of friends and a great sense of humour. "Right up to the end, he'd have the girls at Cedarcroft in stitches," Holdsworth said.
There was no need to guess what he thought. He didn't waver, hem or haw. "You always knew where you stood on an issue with him. He had no trouble expressing it. It worked great as far as I'm concerned," Switzer said.
He was someone you could count on in whatever capacity you knew him. He did what he said he would do and some things just went without saying.
"He was always punctual. If you said two minutes to two, he was there at four minutes to two," Culliton said.
Waller wasn't just stacking up an impressive resume. He didn't need to.what he was doing all those years was lending his considerable abilities and intellect to a city he was proud of and loved.
"All of us can only wish to have his legacy," Williams said.