‘Connie’ Ray – the passing of a legend

by Bob Wonders on 19 Nov 2009 Boating legend Cornelius Nathaniel Ray, the man who 50-years ago established Sea Ray Boats, has passed away after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 84-years-old.

‘Connie’, as he was known, was one of the pioneers in fibreglass boat construction when he founded Sea Ray in a suburban garage in Michigan in 1959.

He was to build the Sea Ray into an industry leader before selling the then highly successful company in 1986 to its current owners, Brunswick Corporation, parent company of Mercury Marine.

I was privileged to speak with ‘Connie’ a few months back when I was reviewing the excellent book, ‘Commanding the Waterways’, written by the esteemed chronicler of the boating industry, Jeffery Rodengen.

The sale of his company for US$350 million allowed ‘Connie’ to pursue his other great loves (aside from boating) aviation and thoroughbred horses.

‘Connie’ joined the US Army Air Corps at the outbreak of World War II and was to remain a keen flyer for the rest of his life, owning several aircraft, including propeller-driven and jet propelled models.

He lived on a ranch in California and kept a number of fine horses.

His modesty was quite astonishing; he was quite surprised that anyone would see him as a legendary figure and equally surprised that an Australian journalist would find him a subject of interest.

In many ways, ‘Connie’ Ray was the boating industry’s initial innovator; he was the first to adopt automotive styling to boats, engaging a stylist from General Motors to produce consoles, dashboards and upholstery trim similar to that employed by the automotive industry.

‘Connie’ told Jeffery Rodengen that his mantra was 'strict attention to the basics, superior products, superior dealers and a sincere appreciation of our customers.'

He said he was already adopting this outlook when he first exhibited at the Chicago Boat Show in 1960.

Current Sea Ray president, Robert J. Parmentier, a former employee of C.N. Ray in the early 1980s, said his former boss believed that 'distribution was king.'

'His aim was to build a good quality boat, backed the product to the hilt, delivered good customer service and appointed the best dealers,' he said.

‘Connie’ Ray had quite a sense of humour, too. He had purchased a small company which had been building fibreglass golf buggies and coffins.

'I was never much of a golfer and I certainly had no intention of finding use for a coffin,' he joked.

As Robert Parmentier said, 'Connie’ Ray played a major role in the development of the fibreglass boating industry, he was a man who was always a step ahead of his time.'

He really was regarded in the US as an iconic figure in the boating industry.

His passing really is the end of an era.

‘Connie’ Ray is survived by a daughter and five sons and his wife of 28-years, Carol. His sister, Trudy, and a sixth son, Cornel, predeceased him.


Vale’ Cornelius Nathaniel Ray.