Jason’s Legacy

Jason touched many lives, from those he knew all his life, to those he communicated with over the Internet, having never met in person. An outpouring of sentiment and fond memories from many was displayed on many guest books and bulletin boards.

Judy Ray related a touching story about Jason helping her out of a touchy situation with another recently-departed friend, Tim Johnson.

The weekend after Jason’s funeral saw a gathering of his friends and family at Sumac Hills Disc Golf Course. Pictures from that event can be seen here (opens in a new window).

The loss of Jason also brought with it hope, in the form of organ and tissue donation, as reported in a Monticello Times article about the LifeSource foundation. Minnesota Governor and First Lady Tim and Mary Pawlenty thanked Jason’s family for their gift at a LifeSource foundation event.

Birthday Kite Fly

Wednesday June 29, 2005 would have been Jason’s 31st birthday. Jason’s Fiancé, Colleen Commerford, suggested during her eulogy that everyone should fly a kite on his birthday; something he enjoyed. So friends and family of Jason gathered to fly kites and played Disc Golf at one of his favorite courses, Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie, MN. Click on any of the images below to scroll through larger-size pictures of the event.

On July 2, 2005 another gathering was held at the Sumac Hills Disc Golf Course. A Disc Golf target was dedicated to Jason’s memory and everyone enjoyed a good time remembering Jason. Pictures from that event can be seen here (opens in a new window).

The family has established the “Jason P. Ray Memorial Fund” at Wells Fargo Bank. Many good things were done with money collected by the fund, including paying for leg braces for a cousin with cerebral palsy and an electric garage door opener for an aunt who recently underwent a double mastectomy.