DES MOINES – Former Iowa governor Robert D. Ray has passed away on Sunday at the age of 89.
Ray had dealt with Parkinson’s disease and died of natural causes at Wesley Acres, according to David Oman, Ray’s former chief of staff.
Ray was first elected as Iowa’s governor in 1968, and then served a total of 14 years. He later served as CEO of two insurance firms, one in Cedar Rapids and the other in Des Moines. Then, in the 1990’s, Ray served as the acting mayor of Des Moines and then president of Drake University.
During Ray’s tenure as governor, he expanded funding for k-12 education, led the creation of a merged Department of Transportation, and eliminated the sales tax on food and drugs. He also established the Iowa Energy Policy Council and then-Department of Environmental Quality, both two concepts that were ahead of their time nationally.
Ray will also be known for issuing Executive Orders advancing civil rights. He established other big committees and groups while serving as Iowa’s governor, including the Governor’s Economy Committee, a Task Force on Government Ethics, and the Science Advisory Council.
The funeral service for Gov. Ray is pending, and will be announced shortly.
