Ray Van Ingen

On July 15, we said goodbye to one of the most loyal and beloved members of the Gorman Group family. Ray Van Ingen joined our Gorman Bros. West Kelowna operation in 1980 and spent his entire career with us in the Woodlands Department. What started as a job quickly became a lifelong passion. After a few years designing cut blocks and roads, Ray became our Silviculture Supervisor—caring for the land after harvest, overseeing seedling growth in nurseries, and guiding the planting and nurturing of new forests. Ray had a remarkable memory. He could recall who harvested a block, which seedlings were planted, how dense the stand was, and how the trees grew over the years, even decades later. He brought both science and heart to the work of reforestation—and his passion was infectious. …Ray retired at the end of 2016, after almost 36 years with us. …To Brenda, Ritchie, Andrew, and the entire Van Ingen family—our hearts are with you. We feel this loss deeply too.