Andrew John Ray (QG 1965) has died at age 72

Andrew John Ray: 26 November 1952 – 23 April 2025.

Andrew Ray was a colleague in Queensgate and in my A-Level economics class with Martin Wright. He was very resourceful, being a keen Scout. One summer – I think 1969 – we borrowed his mother’s Renault 4 and drove to Berlin, Prague, Kiev, Kharkov, Moscow and Leningrad. We camped. In Russia there were special areas in the campsites for foreign tourists.

After reading Economics and Economic History at Bristol University, Andrew qualified as an accountant. He bought a flat in Holloway with another ex-Highgate boy. He moved to South Africa to work. There he met his wife Elsabe.  

In 1994 Andrew and Elsabe moved to Beijing.  From April 1994 to August 1996 he worked for Deloitte and Touche as an adviser to the Chinese Ministry of Finance on Accounting Standards in a World-Bank funded project. He then moved to work for the South African bank Nedbank in Beijing as the Chief Representative, from October 1996 to April 1998. In December 1996 their daughter Isabel was born.  In Beijing Andrew took part in plays and pantomime. He loved acting as a ‘Mechanical’ in Midsummer Night’s Dream which was performed in the garden of the British Embassy.

On returning to England, the family settled in Norwich. Andrew devoted himself for nearly 20 years to voluntary work at a Roman archaeological site near Norwich, at Caistor St Edmund. He led the process of gaining charitable status and led the field warden teams. He was Treasurer of the Nancy Oldfield Trust, a governor of Norwich High School for Girls and in later years volunteered to help children at Mile Cross Primary School to read.

In 2010 Andrew contacted leukemia. I visited him in Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital Birmingham which was centre of excellence for leukemia treatment. Unlike many he recovered although he suffered from some memory loss. But he returned to the dig, becoming Treasurer. At his Memorial Service on 3 May Professor Will Bowden (Leader of the Caistor Roman Project) told us that shortly after Andrew left hospital there was an event with face-painting for the children. Andrew – who had lost his hair thanks to the chemotherapy – got the painter to paint a zip on his head!

Andrew never lost his optimistic nature and sense of humour. His strength through his illnesses was an example to us all.