Born in Moncton, N.B. to J. Alexis Roy (merchant) and Anna McLaughlan-Michaud, Raymond enjoyed an enhancing scholastic formation. Awarded the Governor General silver medal for the highest provincial standing in Grade 10, provincial matriculation leader the following year, he was granted a Lord Beaverbrook scholarship to UNB where he graduated as an Electrical Engineer in 1952 with top marks. Winner of a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University he graduated in 1955 with a degree in economics and political science.
He joined the Foreign Service in that year and for the next 34 years made important contributions to his country. During his career, he was assigned to diplomatic posts in Brussels, Caracas, Bonn, Geneva, Algiers and Berlin. In 1978, he became the first Acadian to be appointed Ambassador. He served as deputy Head of the Canadian Mission to the European Community, Consul and Resident Head of the Canadian Military Mission in Berlin, was a member of the Canadian Delegation to the Gatt Tokyo Round in Geneva and Ambassador to Algeria.
Married in 1959 to his Belgian wife Marie-Claire Laterre, he is survived by her and children Dominique (David), Stéphanie (Annie-Claude) and Alexis and grand-children Cédric, Danièle and Nicolas, his sister Mafalda, as well as his nieces and nephews Pierre-François, Hubert, Christine, Emmanuelle, Geoffroy and Amélie.
Completely bilingual in the best Canadian tradition, Ray maintained a distinct spiritual loyalty to his Acadian roots. He was a faithful subscriber to NAC from the beginning, dabbled in tennis and loved to sail near the family cottage at Grand Lake in Val-des-Monts or on the Golfe de St. Tropez and swim from the rear deck of his Etap 20 near La Madrague (France).
He is to be interred in Beechwood Cemetary following a private family service. A Memorial Service for Raymond will be held at Beechwood Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, on Thursday, July 14 at 10:00 am, followed by a reception.
In Memoriam donations may be made to The Beaverbrook Scholars Award fund, University of New Brunswick. https://donations.helpforcharities.com/unbdonation/?dept_id=beaverbrooksch
Digital Guestbook
Leslie Ainsworth
Denis Brossard
Mes sincères condoléances à Stéphanie et.à tous les tiens……
Les bons souvenirs que vous garderez de M. Raymond sauront, un moment donné, prendre le dessus sur la peine que vous ressentez en ces moments difficiles
Huguette St Jean , Norman Collette
Nos sincères condoléances Marie Claire et à la famille. Nous avons eu la chance de bien connaitre Raymond et toi et pour ceci nous sommes bien reconnaissant.
Huguette et Norman
Sending my deepest sympathy for your loss. May your memories and the shared ones of people who knew and loved Raymond support and comfort you and your families during the difficult weeks ahead.