Raymond John Noorda - Obituary

[RC]

Raymond John Noorda - Obituary

Raymond John Noorda, age 82, passed away in his home in Orem, Utah on October 9, 2006 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Ray was born June 19, 1924, in Ogden, Utah, and was the third son of Dutch immigrants, Bertus and Alida Noorda. Ray wed Lewena (Tye) Taylor on August 4, 1950. The marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple.

Ray’s working life began early as he helped supplement his family’s income during the Great Depression. He worked a wide variety of jobs: in a candy shop, setting pins in a bowling alley, as a loading clerk at a train station, picking cherries, selling magazines, and even herding sheep. These early experiences instilled in him a strong work ethic that all reputable employment was honorable. Ray’s childhood foreshadowed his future success: by the 4th grade he was CEO of a local playground, where the children ran their own programs. He organized a little league team and would ride his bike to teammates’ houses to encourage them to show up at games, peddling them in on his handlebars if necessary.

In high school, Ray was an exceptional baseball player. He was asked to join a professional team, but his mother wouldn’t let him, saying, “Raymond is going to college!”

After graduating from Ogden High School, Ray attended Weber State College in Ogden, Utah. He was called to serve in the Navy as an Electronics Technician during WWII, working in early radar systems for two years. When Ray’s service in the Navy was completed, he attended the University of Utah, where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering in 1949. He received honorary PhD’s from the University of Utah in 1994, and Weber State University in 1995.

While in college, Ray was offered a job with General Electric, which he accepted upon graduation. He worked at GE for 21 years in many capacities, including as an electrical engineer and as a regional manager, and later he was involved in GE’s marketing efforts. During his years at GE, Ray developed a reputation for entrepreneurship, leading start-ups within the company.


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http://www.canopy.com/raynoorda/obituary.php

Compare Mr. Noorda's way of running a business with the Conservatives way. We need more people like John Noorda. RIP John, ya done good in your business ventures.

[yellerpup]

1. My condolences.

He was an exceptional man. "As the number of employees grew from 17 to over 12,000, Ray always treated each employee with respect no matter what position they held." Gotta celebrate a guy like that.