Raymon Alan "Ray" York, the trailblazing former president & CEO of the Phoenix-based Ewing Outdoor Supply and Landscape Products, died at the age of 86 after a brief illness on January 24, a company spokesperson said.
Born on August 4, 1937, in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, York was known as an innovative businessman and an advocate for continual education within the green industry. He and his wife, Susan "Sue" Ewing York, together transformed Ewing Outdoor Supply from its humble beginnings into a national distribution giant, as per a statement obtained by Phoenix Business Journal.
The Yorks met at Stanford University in 1959, and after marrying, they returned to San Francisco in 1963 to oversee the daily operations of Ewing Turf Products, innovatively expanding the family business. Under their stewardship, Ewing relocated its headquarters from California to Arizona in 1994 to support its burgeoning eastern expansion. According to Lawn & Landscape, Ray, together with Sue, handed over the company to their sons in 2007, and the couple went on to enjoy extensive travels across every continent.
Leaving behind an indelible legacy, York's life was marked not only by his business acumen, but also his contributions to the landscaping community. The couple was honored with lifetime achievement awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association in 2007 and the Irrigation Association in 2012 for their 50 years of industry contribution, the Phoenix Business Journal reported.
Today, Ewing Outdoor Supply stands as a testament to York's vision, embodying the growth from a local distributor to a company with over 1,400 employees and 250 locations across the United States. Ray is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sue; their three sons, David, Douglas, and Richard; six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild as well as his sister, Marjorie Crosby. In place of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to the Franciscan Renewal Center in Ray’s honor, as reported by Lawn & Landscape.
