Sports Backers Mourn the Passing of Ray Patterson
Sports Backers is mourning the loss of our colleague and dear friend Ray Patterson. Ray passed away at home on Friday, August 12, after a battle with brain cancer at the age of 69.
Ray joined Sports Backers in 2006 and served as Manager of Community Affairs. This was a perfect role for Ray because he seemed to know just about everyone in the greater Richmond region and got along with them all (if not, there was no problem that couldn’t be solved with a bouquet of flowers or a dozen donuts). Ray worked closely with local government, police and fire departments, and traffic control companies to make sure everything ran smoothly for big events like the Anthem Richmond Marathon and the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k, providing peace of mind for participants as well as his fellow coworkers. He was also often a point of contact for any business owners, churches, or individuals along a race course who had questions about how they would be impacted on event days, and he was always able to solve problems and answer questions. On more than one occasion he dealt with a panicked bride or groom who suddenly realized they had planned a wedding at a church on Monument Avenue the same day as the 10k. He was a calming influence and was able to find solutions that worked for everyone.
Every participant who has ventured onto a Sports Backers race course has benefited from the work Ray did to make sure they had a great experience – an important thing for anyone who’s been training for months to reach a goal.
Ray was also deeply committed to an active lifestyle and making sure people from all corners of the Richmond region had access to physical activity opportunities. If you have developed a running habit in Richmond in the last 10-15 years, chances are Ray had something to do with it. He was an original member of the inaugural Sports Backers Marathon Training Team back in 2002, and he became a friend to hundreds in the RVA community.
Ray was a tireless advocate for community fitness programs like Kids Run RVA and Fitness Warriors and used his many relationships to encourage churches and community centers to create their own training teams, start youth running programs, or become a host site for free Fitness Warriors classes. He has had a positive impact on the lives of many people in Richmond, leading to even more advocates for community fitness. Ray leaves a lasting legacy and his efforts will have positive benefits for years to come.
Prior to his time with Sports Backers, Ray worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as in finance and management positions for a variety of organizations. He received a B.S. in accounting from Hampton University and his M.B.A. in finance from the College of William and Mary.
Ray was an integral and beloved member of the staff at Sports Backers, and we are proud to call him our friend. We are saddened at his passing but feel grateful to have known him. Ray’s funeral will be held this Saturday, August 20th, at 10:00am at First Baptist Church of South Richmond, 1501 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224. His obituary can be found at the following link: http://216.119.69.91/ArticObits/ObitsNew/Landing_Obituary.aspx?oid=97674
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