Ray Larner Beindorf

1928 - 2021

June 29, 1928 - October 26, 2021 Ray died peacefully on October 26, 2021, in Thousand Oaks, California, at age 93.

Ray was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, on June 29, 1928. As a child, he excelled in both academics and athletics. Despite needing glasses since the third grade, he was a starter on his high school's varsity football team as a freshman and finished his high school career as starting quarterback at University High School, California, where he earned letters in four varsity sports. Always an industrious young man, at 14, Ray started working as a pharmacist's apprentice and soda jerk at the local pharmacy to help support his family after his father's death. This commitment to family remained a driving force throughout his life.

Ray graduated from UCLA in 1951 with a BA in Business and Theatre Arts. During university, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant in his ROTC class and was elected president of both his fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, and the UCLA Inter-Fraternity Council.

He began his professional life as a page at CBS in 1952, and quickly rose through the ranks there, with his career taking him from California to New York and back. He served as VP and general manager for CBS station KNXT in L.A. Ray was a television visionary whose innovations include originating news broadcasts from station newsrooms and pioneering electronic news gathering. His work in this area earned CBS an Emmy award in 1974. He retired as executive VP of CBS Stations division in 1975. After leaving CBS, Ray launched his own production company, which produced The Great American Celebration, a twelve-hour live television spectacular celebrating our nation's bicentennial in 1976. He also developed and supervised production of The Dinah Shore Show, a popular daytime talk show that aired for six years on CBS. As chairman and CEO of International Media Group, Ray developed global markets for the company with round-the-clock multicultural and multilingual news and programming for KSCI-TV in southern California and KIKU-TV in Hawaii, before retiring in the early 2000s.

Ray enjoyed an active social and athletic life, competing in tennis into his seventies and golf into his nineties. He was a member of Bel-Air Country Club since the 1950s and served as club President. Following a round of golf or a tennis match, he enjoyed relaxing with friends and taking in the view with a good cigar and a glass of fine Cabernet. The Bel-Air Country Club was the setting for many important family events over the years.

Ray and Patty McIver were married for seventy-one years and together they raised a family of five children. He is survived by and will be greatly missed by his wife Patty, daughters Barbara Ballard (Steve), Betsy Holycross, and Mary Cartusciello (Jimmy), and son Tom (Carolyn Britten). Their eldest son, Bob, died in 2000.

Ray was a proud grandfather of twelve grandchildren: Chris Beindorf, Erik Beck, Tripp Resner (d. 1986), Robin Ballard, Danny Resner, Breanna Holycross, Anastasia Resner Ford, Trevor Holycross, Sarah Ballard Iaccarino, Sophia Cartusciello, Ray Beindorf, and Bill Beindorf. Four great-grandchildren also survive him: Bennett Ballard, Mila Beindorf, Gregory Holycross, and Lola Iaccarino. All of Ray's family of origin, parents Clarence Ray Beindorf and Waneta Larner as well as his siblings Bette Brannan and Bill Beindorf, predeceased him.

Ray drew his greatest enjoyment in life from his large family and expressed his love through generous support of all. He had the rare ability to inspire others, a commitment to complete any task he set his mind to, and the strength to rebound from life's challenges. He had a quirky sense of humor and appreciated the finer things in life. Ray was an eternal optimist, believing deeply in his own and others' capacity to grow and change. He remained active and engaged in the world through the end of his life. Ray's generosity, strength, and warmth will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Private family services in Westlake Village, CA were held in November. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Ray's favorite charitable organization: the Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org).