Raymond William Foley

Passed away peacefully in his room at the Waverly Gardens Care Center, North Oaks, on June 7th at the age of 93. Ray was born September 5th, 1921 in the family home at 3413 42nd Avenue South, Minneapolis as the third of seven children to parents of Irish and Hungarian descent. As a member of "The Greatest Generation" he grew up during the Great Depression, served in the US Army during World War II and became an advertising executive during the post war boom years. By all accounts he lived the American Dream. He graduated from St. Mark's Parochial School in St. Paul (class of 1935) which entailed walking two miles each way across the old and swaying Lake Street Bridge. During this time he sold newspapers at the corner of 46th and Lake for three cents each. While at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis he was able to interview Thomas Dewey, who was running for US President, at the Nicollet Hotel. The article appeared in the Roosevelt Standard newspaper December 14th, 1939. During his high school years, Ray personally collected dozens of autographs from famous people who were visiting Minneapolis including Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Rudy Vallee, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lawrence Welk, Herbert Hoover and Jack Dempsey. He did this by being assertive while waiting by stage doors and hotel lobbies. He was drafted into the Army in October, 1942. After being stationed at Fort Snelling, and due to the need for more troops in Europe he was sent to Camp (now Fort) Lee, Virginia for basic training. He caught pneumonia while there and spent several weeks in the hospital. When he got out he found that all his cohorts had been shipped out to the Battle of the Bulge and that most were not coming home. After the war he returned to Minneapolis and attended the University of Minnesota on the GI Bill and worked as a soda jerk at Kermit Mattison's drug store on the corner of 42nd Avenue and 34th Street. He graduated from the U in 1948 from its University College with a B.A. in Public Relations. He was also very active in the Minneapolis Jaycees helping to name and start the Minneapolis Aquatennial. Ray then got on track to become a "Mad Men" ad man of the 1960's and 70's. After stints at Dayton's Department Store and the United Way, he worked in advertising for 30 years, eventually becoming President of Colle & McVoy, which he grew to be the largest locally owned advertising agency at the time. He was the account executive responsible for the Twin City Federal (now TCF Bank) account for 30 years, creating ads with celebrities like Jack Benny, Bob Lurtsema and Fran Tarkington. Ray Foley loved living in North Oaks. He and he wife Gini bought a lot in the new development in 1953 for $3,500 and later upgraded to a lot on Teal Pond for $6,500. The house was built in 1963 and continues to be in the family to this day. Ray was an avid golfer, although he admitted and joked that he was never very good at it. Regardless, as an active member at the North Oaks Golf Club from 1969 to 1989, he got two holes in one. Ray served from 1977 to 1988 on the North Oaks City Council and also two terms as North Oaks mayor. The biggest issues he had to contend with of the time was the debate about thinning the local deer herd and the fact that Walter Mondale, a Democrat running for President, had moved his residence into primarily Republican North Oaks. In addition to the Jaycees and North Oaks Government, Ray was active in countless other organizations throughout his life including being director of the Indianhead Council of the Boy Scouts, President of the American Lung Association of Hennepin County, director of the Arthritis Foundation of Minnesota and North Suburban Cable Commissioner. Ray retired to Palm Desert, CA where he was one of the first residents at the Palm Valley Country Club development. After 25 years he returned to spend his final years in Minnesota. Ray was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years Gini (Virginia Reiling); brothers Jim (Grace) and Phil; sisters Mary Rose and Sr. Kathleen, CSJ. Survived by sons Greg (Hannah) of Fraser, CO, Mark (Susan) of Wasilla, AK and Tom (Carmen) of North Oaks; grandchildren Dylan of Boulder, CO, Nick (Vanessa) of Breezy Point, NY, Garrett of North Oaks and Lily of San Diego, CA.: great-grandson Augustus of Breezy Point, NY.; siblings Ed (Colleen) of Palm Desert, CA and Jeanette of St. Paul. Mass of Christian Burial 11AM (visitation begins at 10AM) Friday, June 12 at ST ODILIA CATHOLIC CHURCH, 3495 N. Victoria, Shoreview. Interment Fort Snelling. Reception at 4PM Friday at North Oaks Golf Club.

Tributes

Raymond William Foley

September 5, 1921 - June 7, 2015

Tributes

Raymond William Foley

September 5, 1921 - June 7, 2015

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