Raymond E. Costa passed away August 17, 2018 in Fortuna at age 92.  

Born and raised in Salinas, he and his wife Patricia moved to Loleta in 1992. Ray liked to joke that he lived in the fog all of his life. 

As a youth he spent most summers hiking and fishing all of the trout streams in the Santa Lucia Mountains, along the Big Sur Coast, with his father and brother. He served in the Army Combat Engineers during World War II. While in Salinas, he was a semi-professional bowler, and had the bowling trophies to prove it. As he was fond of pointing out,  Ray completed 75 private hours of ballroom dance lessons at the Monterey Arthur Murray Studio, and he was not shy about informing his dancing compatriots of that fact, sometimes on multiple occasions at the same dance.  

Ray was a U.S. Postal worker, retiring as maintenance supervisor at the Salinas post office. In Loleta, he put his chemistry and maintenance foreman skills to use when he was tapped to join the staff of the Loleta Community Services District. He was very active in the Loleta Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus, VFW, Friendship Circle Dance Club, the Moose Lodge and the Moose Dance Club. Dubbed the informal “Mayor of Loleta,” Ray was loved in Loleta and Ferndale for his humor, generosity, bookkeeping skills and his willingness to teach ballroom dancing to people on the sidewalk and in local shops on the spur of the moment.

He brought cookies to the staff and patients at Redwood Memorial Hospital and, during his recent stay there, several of the nurses noted that they had danced with him and really enjoyed the cookies.

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Ray was preceded in death by his wife Patricia in 1995.  He is survived by his daughter, Regina, of Forestville, Calif., and his son Joe and granddaughter Francesca, both of San Anselmo, Calif. 

Rosary is Aug. 27, 7 p.m., Assumption Church, Ferndale. Mass is Aug. 28, 11 a.m., Assumption Church, Ferndale. Internment is at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, Loleta.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Patrick’s Alter Society (PO Box 593, Loleta, CA. 95551) or the Ferndale Sr. Resource Agency (PO Box 726, Ferndale, CA, 95536).

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