“A versatile young man is Ray Orne. Some days, he lobsters, other days he carpenters and evenings he works on his reference book on electrical engineering.” Monhegan Press. 17 Dec. 1938.

Ray enlisted in the Navy on December 14, 1941, just seven days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During World War II, Ray served on the USS Woolsey DD437, mostly in Africa. He participated in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, in November of 1942. Ray was awarded medals and ribbons including: American Theatre, European Theatre, Navy Unit Commendation, Good Conduct medal, and WWII Victory medal. He made the Navy his career for twenty years almost to the day, leaving on December 13, 1961. Ray died in 1985 and is buried in the Monhegan Cemetery.

After the war, Ray married Lois Elaine Nason. The two met on Monhegan when she was working at the Island Inn. They often spent summers on the island but did not live there year-round. After retiring from the Navy, Ray worked for 17 years in the Civil Service with the Federal Aviation Administration at Norfolk, VA airport.