By Corey Fischer

Wray Remembered At Kal Tire Place Service

Jan 20, 2018 | 5:45 PM

It was a fitting way to pay tribute to the long time owner of the Vernon Vipers.

Several hundred people attended a celebration of life for Duncan Wray at Kal Tire Place Saturday.

Wray died January 11 in Victoria, the day he turned 68.

BCHL commissioner John Grisdale was among the speakers who says it was a great way to honour his friend.

Grisdale says the league is talking about ways to honour Wray’s contributions, as an owner, and as the long time chair of the league’s board of governors.

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“It takes some time to identify what’s the right thing and the best thing, given his leadership for the past 25 years, so without question, that’s one of the foremost things were need to start dialoging about,” Grisdale told CJIB News.

Other speakers included Vernon Vipers staff, and Wray’s daughter Erica who says nothing made her dad happier than being in the arena watching his team.

“It means so much for my family and I to see so many people here today, and to see just how many people my dad has touched,” Erica told the crowd.

Vipers coach Mark Ferner says he will especially miss Sundays when he and Wray used to spend time together in the Vipers office.

“It was just Duncan and I at the rink, me with my coffee and Duncan with his Diet Pepsi. That man loved his Diet Pepsi. We didn’t really talk about much. We chit- chatted about the weekend, we talked about the league, he would show pictures, and I would watch video.”

Ferner teared up with his final words at the event.

“Duncan was a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, a wonderful grandfather, a wonderful owner, and most of all, a wonderful friend.”

Vipers vice president of operations Todd Miller worked with Wray for 15 years.

“Duncan, I miss your smiling face, your plaid shirts, and of course your cases and cases of Diet Pepsi. May heaven provide you with everything you’ve provided so many over you’re time here. You’ll be sadly missed,” said Miller.

Wray’s four sons and wife Libby were also in attendance, along with members of the Vipers team.

The family held a private ceremony earlier in the day to remember Wray, a retired oral surgeon, who was born in Montreal and moved to Vernon in 1986.

by Corey Fischer