Ray McGowan

Raymond "Ray" McGowan, 73, of Rogue River died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Providence Medford Medical Center. Viewing will be held Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Stephens Family Chapel. A Mass will be held Friday at noon at St. Anne Catholic Church. A reception will follow. Burial with full military honors will be held Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Park. He was born April 1, 1937, in Canyon City, Colo., to Charles and Pauline McGowan. After graduating from high school in Yreka, Calif., he attended Chico State University for a year. He then joined the Air Force in December 1956. His first assignment was in the Pentagon. On April 4, 1959, in Alexandria, Va., he married Barbara Vayo, who survives. He later completed pilot's school in Lubbock, Texas, and spent the next 29 years as an Air Force pilot. On Sept. 7, 1989, at Travis Air Force Base, he retired as a lieutenant colonel. In 1968, he flew Bob Hope and his group to southeast Asia for their Christmas tour to entertain the troops. After leaving the Air Force, he went to work for Hughes Aircraft as an instructor pilot at Travis AFB. In 1993, he and his wife retired to Rogue River. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, raising birds, camping, making turquoise jewelry, rock collecting, leather work, music and flying his small plane. In addition to his wife, survivors include two sons, Kevin McGowan of Portland and Keith McGowan of Rogue River; a daughter, Kathryn Ferber of Grants Pass; a brother, Don McGowan of Gold Hill; a sister, Virginia Brent of Prairie Grove, Ark.; five grandchildren and two stepgrandchildren.