Raymond R. Michaud Jr.

1948 - 2016

June 12, 1948 - June 18, 2016 Raymond R. Michaud Jr. passed away peacefully on June 18, 2016 with his family by his side after a courageous, two-year battle with cancer. "Mr. Michaud," as he was called by generations of school children, was the long-time Headmaster of The John Thomas Dye School and one of the most respected elementary school educators in Los Angeles. Ray was father, son, brother, coach, and Headmaster to everyone he met in his over 40 years as an educator. But it was his own family where he most relished those roles, especially the additional title of "Grandpa." Ray is survived by his sons Michael and Bradley; his daughter-in-law Kim; his son-in-law Jason; his grandchildren Parker and Peyton; his siblings Peter, Suzanne, Nancy, Steve and Janet - and their spouses and many nieces and nephews. Ray never forgot where he came from and it was the basic values taught to him by his Mom and Dad that he tried to pass on to his students. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Ray was the first of six children born to Delphine Rose and Raymond Michaud, Sr. on June 12, 1948. Ray's early years were spent playing ice hockey, baseball, and football. The Michaud family moved to Santa Barbara in 1961 where Ray attended Bishop Diego High School. Ray went on to receive his B.A. in History from University of San Francisco (USF) and was considering law school, when he was offered a position as assistant director of admissions at USF. One of his recruiting trips on behalf of USF brought him to the Harvard School for Boys in Studio City. As the story goes, Ray didn't succeed in convincing any of the students to apply to USF but he did get offered a job as a 7th and 8th grade history teacher the next day. Ray taught history, coached football and basketball at Harvard for seven years and also served as the Assistant Head of the Lower School. Ray Michaud was hired as Associate Headmaster of The John Thomas Dye School (JTD) in Bel Air in 1978 and became Headmaster two years later. At the time of his hiring, the Board of Trustees said they believed Ray was someone who was strong enough to respect the traditions of JTD's founders, Cathryn and John Dye, but flexible enough to grow. How right they were! No one individual has had as much impact on the history of the John Thomas Dye School as Ray Michaud. Ray served as the beloved Headmaster at The John Thomas Dye School beginning in 1981 until his retirement in 2014. After his retirement, Ray moved to Arizona to pursue his passions of playing golf and cheering the Dodgers during Spring Training. Ray taught, mentored, and coached over 2000 students during his time at JTD. He was a constant presence in his students' and faculty members' lives - past and present. Of his long list of accomplishments, he may be best known for instituting the 5C's - caring, courtesy, consideration, cooperation, and common sense. Those five simple words have truly defined the culture of the John Thomas Dye School and they will forever be the foundation of how JTD students treat each other and live their lives. Ray was honored for his thirty years of service at JTD in 2010 at an event on the field at Dodger Stadium. Over 1,000 people attended the "CelebRAYtion" and there was one resounding refrain heard over and over again that evening, "Mr. Michaud has made such a difference in our family's lives." Ray also forged a sense of community among LA's independent elementary schools by spearheading the creation of an Independent School Alliance of Minority Affairs. This coalition of forty-three independent schools has placed and financially supported over 1800 students in member schools, and has maintained a 100% college matriculation rate among its students. The Michaud Family has asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Independent School Alliance, c/o "Raymond R. Michaud Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund," 5813A Uplander Way, Culver City, CA 90230. Funeral Services will be private. A celebration of Ray's life will be held on Sunday, September 18, 2016 at The John Thomas Dye School.