The July/August VenueConnect issue of Facility Manager magazine will include a special section to honor the memories of several industry members who have passed away in recent months, including Ray Ward and Bill Cunningham, two former IAVM presidents who had a huge impact on so many in the profession.
Only you know how either of these industry giants moved along your career or just said something that has remained with you to this day. We would love to capture those thoughts or any brief stories you have to share about Ray, Bill, or both.
Please submit by email those tribute memories to Facility Manager Senior Editor R.V. Baugus by June 8 at rv.baugus@iavm.org. If you have a photo you would like to include with your comments, we welcome and encourage those as well.
Help us honor and remember these true industry legends and the role they played in shaping the Association and the profession.
It was in 1983, when I accepted the booking position at the Cow Palace working for John Root when I first met Ray, who was managing the Oakland Stadium/Coliseum at the time. It was a great competition over the next few years battling for shows that BGP was bringing into the area.
Ray had the Golden State Warriors playing in his facility during this time. In those years the Golden State Warriors were having some very tough times and frequently had no chance for making the playoffs. According to the agreement with the league, Ray had to hold three weeks for potential playoff games. During that same three week period, the Cow Palace was able to do five nights of Prince’s Purple Rain Tour, five nights of Neil Diamond, two nights of U2 and one night of Triumph. The Warriors did not make the playoffs and the Coliseum was pretty quiet, something that Ray would remind me of every time we saw each other over the next thirty years.
Ray was a delight to be around and an honor to call a friend.
Thank you for these wonderful comments, Bob! –R.V.