Ray Leonard Bowyer

In the late afternoon of a beautiful spring day on May 12th, 2025, Ray Leonard Bowyer, 84, left this earthly life to be with family and friends on the other side of the veil.

Born on February 6th, 1941, in the family farmhouse in Cherry Valley, Ashtabula County, Ohio, to Marcus Ira Bowyer and Leona Charlotte King, he was the youngest of three children who moved from Northeast Ohio to Mesa, Arizona with his parents and two older sisters in 1947. Within the first year of moving to their new home in Mesa, Ray’s father perished in a mining accident at a mine near Red Mountain in east Mesa. While this was a difficult time for Ray, his sisters and his widowed mother, Ray always spoke fondly of the love for the people in his hometown of Mesa. Through friendships and people in the community recognizing this was a family in need, Ray joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a young man and forged many lasting relationships that he cherished throughout his life.

Ray was a proud Mesa High Jackrabbit and graduated from Mesa High School in 1959. Throughout Ray’s life he took great pride in reminding anyone who would listen of the great sports teams Mesa High had in the 1950s and 60s. Because he was an Ohio transplant, Ray also had a great love of the Cleveland Indians and long awaited their next World Series Championship since 1948. Ray also had a great love of all ASU athletics particularly football and baseball. Perhaps Ray’s greatest sports love story was as a 30-year season ticket holder of the Phoenix Suns. He loved the Suns and endured the anticipated heartbreak that many Suns fans have experienced over the years.

Shortly after graduating from high-school Ray went to work for Salt River Project and was employed there for 25 years in the Water Operations Division. Ray grew to love many of the farmers in the East Valley as he worked closely with them day and night. Ray also loved the many zanjeros and associates he worked with over the decades at SRP.

One of Ray’s biggest loves as a young man was playing fast pitch softball and organizing teams that would compete against some of the top teams in the state. The competition and camaraderie of the sport was one of Ray’s passions. You could often find one of his teams, Ray Steel, M&S Sporting Goods or the Passey Bond Phantoms mixing it up at the old Mesa Evergreen Park with teams like Patterson Motors and F. E. Bailey. Ray loved the game and loved the friendships that were forged on and off the field. When his softball playing days were over, he transferred that passion to refereeing basketball, both at the local junior high school level and with the City of Mesa Men’s Leagues. On any given night during basketball season, Ray could be found refereeing 3 or 4 city league games a night or refereeing games at the old Gilbert Junior High School gym.

In December of 1960, Ray married Sandra Lamb and welcomed two sons into the world, Michael and Derron. After Ray’s divorce he married Andra Kay Andersen in 1970 and with that happy time in his life experienced the joy of being a father to a daughter, Randa Pearce. Ray and Andra Kay raised their three children while living in Chandler on Ray Road on the John Andersen, Junior farm. In many ways, it was a perfect match, Ray with his love working for SRP in their water operations division and marrying into a farming family. After Ray was widowed with the passing of Andra Kay in 1994, Ray married Audrey Jean Holley and lived in Lehi-Mesa, Rio Verde and most recently in Scottsdale.

Ray is survived by his wife, Audrey, children Michael (Ronda), Derron (Maria) and Randa Larson (Jared). Ray also leaves behind grandchildren Tyler Bowyer (Lauren), Braxton Bowyer (Mariah), Jessica Smith (Sterling), Addison Bowyer (Tessa), Cade Bowyer, Jakeb Bowyer (Kylie), Sloan Flake (Nate), Chandler Bowyer (Ashlyn), Sydney Larson, Nick Larson, Ivy Hymas (Carson), Allie Ferrin (Blake), Gunnar Larson, Elijah Larson, Sydney Mulligan, Desiree Burton (Devon), Vanessa Tuey (Fred Garcia), Joseph Tuey, Cheyenne Tuey and Dakota Tuey. Additionally, Ray has twenty-three great-grandchildren who brought him tremendous joy. Ray is also survived by several nieces and nephews. His brothers Dale Clark, Lyle Clark and Harold Clark, his sisters, Margaret Leona Clark, Joan Bowyer and Marguerite Reed along with his two stepsons, Robert Tuey and Shawn Tuey predecease him.

Mostly, Ray will be remembered for his love of people and his unique ability of connecting with anyone from every walk of life. He was kind to all.

Ray will be remembered in a Celebration of His Life on Friday, May 23rd at 10:00am at the Lehi Ward Building, 830 East Lehi Road, Mesa, Arizona 85203. A visitation at 9am will precede the funeral at 10:00am.