Adrian (Ray) Ramond Chamberlain

Fort Collins - Adrian (Ray) Ramond Chamberlain, was born on November 11, 1929, in Detroit, Michigan to Lela and Adrian D. Chamberlain. He had two brothers, Dean and Glen, and together they grew up in Thompsonville, MI, a rural farming community 240 miles northwest of Detroit, near the shore of Lake Michigan. He passed away October 7, 2024 in Gulf Shores, Alabama at his beloved Ten Gables.

Ray earned his B.S. in agricultural engineering from Michigan State University in 1951 and his M.S. in irrigation engineering and fluid mechanics at Washington State University in 1952. After completing his studies at Washington, he enrolled at Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College (CAM), now Colorado State University (CSU), in the engineering program and earned the first Ph.D. awarded by the college in 1955. After completing his Ph.D., he took a position as a research engineer with the Phillips Petroleum Company for the summer of 1955, but soon after he accepted a Fulbright fellowship to continue his studies in hydrodynamics at the University of Grenoble, France.

In 1956, he returned to CAM as associate professor and the manager of civil engineering research for the College of Engineering. He was promoted to professor and chief of civil engineering research in 1957. From 1959-1961, he served as acting dean of the College of Engineering and over the summer of 1960 was also the acting dean of the faculty. Ray was appointed as Vice President for Administration in 1960 and Executive Vice President of Colorado State University in 1966. On July 1, 1969, he became the ninth president of Colorado State University. Under his leadership, the university revised its master plan, took significant steps to address affirmative action, expanded opportunities for women and underrepresented students, and bolstered its research programs. His academic achievements earned him election into the National Academy of Engineering in 2006.

Beyond his time at CSU, Ray served in several key transportation roles. He was the executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, vice president of freight policy for the American Trucking Association, and a long-serving member of the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board, including a term as its chairman. Later, he became vice president of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading global engineering consulting firm. He also played a critical role as a real estate developer for critical Fort Collins projects including The Marriott, Old Town, and The Square.

In his personal life, Ray was blessed with three amazing boys, Curt, Tracy, and Thomas (Tac) from a previous marriage. Curt and Thomas were both born with cystic fibrosis and he made it one of his personal missions to advocate for and support research that has significantly advanced the treatment for this disease.

Ray married the love of his life, Melanie, in 1979 and they spent 45 blissful years together traveling the globe. Together they visited every continent and Ray enjoyed photographing the local wildlife, plant life, and sunsets along the way. He truly lived the advice he often gave others of doing all your personal 'bucket list' items as soon as possible. He was a lifelong learner and educator, a brilliant conversationalist, and a benevolent philanthropist.

Ray is survived by his wife Melanie, son Tracy (Dorinda), brother Dean (Laura), and many nieces he adored. He is preceded in death by his parents Adrian and Lela, his brother Glen, and his sons Tac and Curt.

A celebration of life will be held in the springtime in Fort Collins, Colorado. Location, date, and time will be published.