A remarkable man, husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather has died peacefully at the age of 95 with Daphne, his wife of 74 years at his side, along with family and friends.

Raymond (Ray) Allen was born in Ramsden Heath, Essex, England and passed away on 26 September 2018 at Senior Suites, Ravines Retirement Residence in Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Ray had an unforgettable smile and a story for most occasions. He will be sorely missed by the great love of his life and his wife, Daphne Mary Collishaw, daughter Patti (Peter), grandchildren Zoe, Rupert (Sarah) and Amy, nephews Martin (Liz) and Simon and great grandchildren, Brooklyn and Oliver. He is predeceased by his sister Maureen (David), son Jerry (Dorothy Lehan) and grandson Richard. He will be forever remembered by his loving carers and friends, Marivel, Mayette and Ester.

Ray was a gifted Chartered Mechanical Engineer by education and training, working in various companies in positions of increasing importance throughout his life in England. He had a distinguished and varied career before he retired in 1983 at the age of 63. He was a peerless mentor and friend and he was a compassionate and loving family man. He enjoyed designing houses and loved taking on home and cottage renovations in England, Wales, Spain and Canada. He was a skilled carpenter, making chairs, furniture and hobby horses and he had a knack for fixing broken appliances and toys. He was a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction and took up watercolour painting in his later years.

Ray and Daphne spent most of their lives in England but spent many holidays travelling widely all over the world and to many parts of Canada before deciding to move here permanently in 2004. They made many lifelong friends who will remember him as a gracious host, guest and raconteur extraordinaire.

A Celebration of Ray’s Life will take place at the Ravines Retirement Residence at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ray's honour can be made to a charity of your choice. Messages of condolence can be sent to the website: www.beechwoodottawa.ca.