Ray Blackstone a gift that keeps on giving

At this time of year, gifts are on our minds.

We visit the mall and hunt through stores, trying to find items that are just right for those on our lists.

In the midst of our searches for these tangible gifts, we do not always think about other gifts that exist in our community. These gifts are given to all of us in the form of quiet contributions made by dedicated people over many years.

I was reminded of an unsung gift-giver recently.

At age 90, Ray Blackstone is still offering support and care to his fellow Spokane Valley residents as he has been since I first knew him in the early 1950s.

Ray is currently the minister of visitation at Millwood Presbyterian Church and has been for the last 21 years.

At a time in life when most people turn inward to care for themselves, Ray sits with families as they wait out surgeries, brings communion to those who cannot attend church, and, essentially, attends to the spiritual needs of a community he has served for more than 50 years.

Ray was not an ordained minister when I met him. He was working in another avenue of life. A prominent member at Millwood Presbyterian Church, he spoke his voice when necessary, but was known and appreciated mostly for a highly developed sense of compassion. Ray was past the age of 40 when he was called to the ministry. He and his family went to seminary for three years, returning to serve in the pulpits of several Spokane churches.

During this time he was a leader in the founding and development of Camp Spaulding, a regional church camp on Davis Lake. Ray returned as an assistant pastor at Millwood Presbyterian in the 1960s, retiring in 1975.

Most people would have laid down their burdens and used the remaining time in their lives for recreation and personal enjoyment. Not Ray.

After a few years of retirement, he was asked again to comfort and support the residents of Millwood. He anticipated the job would extend over several months. It lasted a bit longer. He has been at the work ever since.

My own experience with Ray was mostly in the early years. He and his wife were friends of my parents. When I was in high school, I spent time at Camp Spaulding, where he was director. After that, I didn't see much of him for many years.

However, I am truly grateful for his unsolicited presence on one of the most difficult nights of my life. I was at Valley General Hospital, sitting quietly by myself in the moments after a death in the family.

Quietly a voice asked, "Joel?" It was Ray Blackstone, in the hospital to visit someone else that night, but there for support when he recognized me.

I don't recall what Ray said. I just remember his presence and the comfort in his words. Nearly 12 years have passed since our meeting on that sad night and Ray continues to move about the community, sharing words of care as he goes.

The Spokane Valley is fortunate that Ray has lived and remained involved here for so long. While he has done so much good that a monument should be erected in his honor, I'm sure he is content with the heartfelt thanks he is given every day.

As a community though, especially at this holiday time, we should remember that important gifts are not just the ones we buy for one another.

The most meaningful are those given individually, but with benefits we all share. Ray Blackstone gives those gifts every day. He has lived a life that truly represents the spirit of the season.

Copyright 2000 Cowles Publishing Company
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.