Donald Wray

Minneapolis, MN - Donald Wray of Edina, born September 24, 1927, in Minneapolis, died August 14, just short of his 98th birthday. He lived in a one-block radius his whole life until the last three years, when he moved to a senior living community just a mile away from home. A lifelong resident of the Morningside neighborhood of Edina, he was proud of his roots. He grew up surrounded by family-cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents--all living within blocks of each other. Those close family ties were extended to Big Pine Lake south of Aitkin, Minnesota, where his grandfather bought a string of land in 1912 and the whole family built a cabin in the summer of 1913. Later, several family members built their own cabins on adjacent lots. Don cherished his many years spent at the lake, and passed on the family cabin and his love of Pine Lake to his children and grandchildren. He met his lifelong love, Leona Schultz, in high school (St. Louis Park, Class of 1945), and married her seven years later after they both graduated from the University of Minnesota and he completed his service in the army. Together, they raised three children, and in later years, enjoyed traveling the world. Don and Leona had a very active social life with friends from many different areas of their lives, including a large group of high school friends. Don also was an avid hunter, fisherman, gardener and winemaker, creating wine from rhubarb and raspberries and grapes he grew in their large backyard. Don would often tell people in his retirement community that he had been a remodeler. He did buy a small remodeling company in his retirement, but in fact, he was an engineer who earned B.S degrees in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and went on to work for many of the homegrown Minnesota Fortune 500 companies, including Toro, Honeywell and Control Data. He later bought and ran with a business partner a manufacturing firm, C.W. Olson, Inc., in northeast Minneapolis. Don was a supporter of and took on leadership roles in many organizations, from the church he was baptized in and belonged to his whole life, to organizations such as the University of Minnesota Foreign Students Club in the '60s and '70s, the prison mentoring program Amicus, the Edina Historical Society, and the Northeast Minneapolis Rotary and later the downtown Minneapolis Rotary. He always had a smile on his face and a hearty hello for everyone he met, even when at age 90 he broke his neck and had to wear a halo for three-plus months (well, the smile wasn't always there during that period-he called the device "this claptrap"). Don had a big influence on many people's lives and will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him. He was preceded in death by his wife, Leona, son Dan, parents Robin and Hazelle, and sister Jean. He is survived by son Charlie Wray (Debbie), daughter Betsy Wray (Gary Hittle), grandchildren Amanda Ninneman (Jeremiah), David Wray (Daneka Romportl), Melissa Wray (Riley Benson) and Michael Wray; and great-grandchildren Aevyn, Levi, Cora and Marie Ninneman, and Lucy Benson-Wray. A memorial service will be held at Washburn McReavy Chapel, 5000 W. 50th St. and Hwy. 100, on Friday, August 22, at 2 p.m., with visitation at 1 p.m.

Tributes

Donald Wray

September 24, 1927 - August 14, 2025

Tributes

Donald Wray

September 24, 1927 - August 14, 2025

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