Suddenly, on December 19, 2021, Raymond Collins Pater III was taken from his family by cardiac arrest.

Ray and his domestic partner, Scott E. Knox, were together for 22 years and shared a love of family, social justice, and the world's beauty that they savored deeply. Ray is also survived by his siblings, Patti (Eric) Buchroeder, Ann (Reid) Rooney, Mary Pater (Bill Nally), Kathleen Pater, Michelle (Tom) Frank, John (Nancy) Pater, Stephen (Tina Davlin) Pater, Christina Pater (David Pierson), Michael (Michelle Pembaur) Pater, Kevin Pater, and many deeply loved nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives.

Ray was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 3rd, 1960, to Raymond C. Pater, Jr. and Ann Hobson Pater. After his natural mother's untimely death in 1967, Judy Kipp took on the role of mother when she married Ray Jr. They gave Ray eight additional brothers and sisters that he dearly loved and was loved in return. With Ray Jr., Judy, and an expanded team of 10 siblings to support him, Ray went on to live a life of accomplishment, generosity and fulfillment.

A natural and motivated learner, Ray attended St. Xavier High School, earned a B.A. degree from Miami University, M.B.A. degree from Xavier University, and Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton.

Ray was also an accomplished swimmer and member of the swimming community. He competed for the Cincinnati Marlins while in summer leagues with Kenwood Swim Club and Kenwood Country Club. He was a four-year swimming state championship member of St. Xavier High School 1975-78. In addition, he was a collegiate varsity swimmer for Miami University thru 1982. He continued his involvement in swimming by coaching not only for his younger siblings, but also served as the assistant coach for the 1984 St. Xavier High School State Championship Swim Team, among other teams.

Professionally, Ray's passion, sublimated throughout his career, was devotion to the less fortunate and underserved among the society that he shared. He appreciated and utilized his gifts to the fullest measure, but never forgot or failed to share those blessings with the less fortunate. Starting in child support enforcement for Williams County, Ohio, Ray built an unmatched record of accomplished service and integrity, culminating as the Director of Job and Family Services in Butler County, Ohio. In this he consolidated the Children Services, Workforce Development, and Child Support Enforcement agencies under his cohesive, streamlined, and most importantly, effective leadership. Ray couldn't win unless everyone could win. In addition, Ray brought excellence in administration to the leadership of the Hamilton County Board of Elections. He was the past president of the Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agency Directors' Association and won numerous awards for leading the highest performing Child Support agency in the state.

Ray and Scott enjoyed traveling and were able to journey to many countries. One of his favorite trips was to Torino for the 2006 Winter Olympics to watch the figure skating competition. He appreciated grace and style. Ray had a passion for seeing how others lived and visiting cultures very different from his own. He also enjoyed everything from relaxing on a beautiful beach to the thrills of bungee jumping in New Zealand and zip-lining in Kauai. Scott encouraged Ray to dare (while NEVER relinquishing the lifeline or the safety net) and has the pictures and videos to prove it.

Ray was an amazing brother. He was the best cheerleader in the world for his younger siblings and made each and every one of them feel special. He had perfect recall of all their events and made sure to attend more of his siblings' swim meets than anyone else to cheer them on without limit. He loved taking them to restaurants, movies, and trips, and to make sure they believed in themselves.

Ray had a remarkable mind and a phenomenal memory. He was able to remember over half the days he was alive with clear and complete recall, the winners in many Academy Award categories in any given year (and often who they beat out), as well as what he did on each birthday, anniversary, and many other events throughout his life. They were ALL significant to him.

If you would like to support Ray's favorite charities, donations can be made in his name to Catholic Relief Services or Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio .

Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore MD 21297-0303
Tel: 1-877-435-7277
Web: https://www.crs.org/

Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio
7162 Reading Road, Suite 600, Cincinnati OH 45237
Tel: 1-513-241-7745
Web: https://www.ccswoh.org/