Ray Athey
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Where Are They Now? Ray Athey |
Back to The Lodge Ray Athey
After leaving camp, in nineteen sixty eight, I turned sixteen, and I got my driver’s license. My family and I went on a vacation out west, in the summer, Grand Canyon, Disney Land, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Four Corners, you know, basically everywhere out west, and I got to drive the entire way, boy, it was exciting. The next year was nineteen seventy and I graduated high school, joined the Marine Corps, and began a four year long quest for manhood... I was stationed in Yuma, Arizona, nearly the whole time; I got into four wheeling and all the other foolishness I could find. Went to several good concerts, lived a lot, and did all I could to sew my wild oats.
After my time in the Corps, I went to work for my Dad in the Floor Covering business in Paducah, Kentucky. I got married to a young lady, Ann Bowers, from Little Mountain, South Carolina, who already had a six month old daughter, Mega Cox, so I adopted her, and then three years later we had another of our own. I went to night school to get my degree (made straight A’s and the Dean’s list) while working full time. I dove into hard work like no other employee my father had, I really enjoyed working with the public and I eventually became sales manager. After seven years my wife and I divorced and I moved from Paducah and tried to start life over. It was hard, but after two different jobs, (I spent some time self employed, and a three year stint at a commercial laundry in Lexington, Kentucky), I wound up in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and got back into the floor covering business. I managed three different stores and sold millions of dollars worth of carpet. Eventually, after ten years as a single man, I tried my hand at marrying again. This time it was for good, as I found my life’s mate, Regina F. Shely. Ten years ago I went to work for the state as a Child Support Enforcement worker. After three years in Louisville, Kentucky, working at the county level, suspending driver’s licenses and doing Follow-Me-Wage Assignments, I ended up in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the state level, in the Central Office (where the Director’s of Child Support’s office is). I now do Location. I find the missing non-custodial parent when all other location efforts fail. My job is very rewarding, I still work very hard, and I sleep well at night. I do it for the kids, not the pay check.
I have three children, two daughters, thirty three and thirty one years old, one step son, twenty nine, three grandsons, two are nine and one is three, two granddaughters, one is thirteen years old and the other is six, and I currently have seven cats who I’ve rescued. I know I’ve failed to mention all the small stuff that went on, but no one needs to know all the things that make life so darn rewarding, now, do they? |
