Gary J. Ray was an integral member of the Hormel Foods Corporation for more than forty years. He began his career with Hormel as a production supervisor in 1968 and arrived in Austin in 1980. He held positions from director to vice president in different divisions of the company, culminating in his post as president of Protein Businesses. A member of Hormel's Board of Directors for twenty years, he was also active in the work of the Austin Medical Center, the Hormel Institute, and as chair of the Hormel Foundation. He made a lasting impact in the business, medical, educational, and philanthropic facets of Austin's community growth.