ELLEN RAY

RAY--Ellen, of New York City and New Orleans died in New York on June 11, 2015, at age 75, from complications of cancer. Born in Grand Island, Nebraska, a great-niece of the author Willa Cather, Ray was a documentary filmmaker, publisher, journalist, and activist. During the Vietnam War, Ray worked for the National Lawyers' Guild's Military Law Project in Okinawa, supporting the legal defense of U.S. soldiers who opposed the war in Vietnam. Her films include "Stand Up Grenada," which documented Maurice Bishop's first anniversary as Prime Minister of Grenada and the U.S. government's efforts to destabilize his government. From 1978 to 2000, Ray was a co-publisher of the magazine Covert Action Information Bulletin. Together with William Schaap, her husband of 44 years, she published Lies Of Our Times, a magazine that detailed inaccuracies in articles published by The New York Times and other mainstream press. With Michael Ratner, Ray was co-author of "Guantanamo: What the World Should Know", the first book to expose torture in Guantanamo prison. As president of Sheridan Square Press, Ray published "On the Trail of the Assassins," the memoir of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, which became a primary source for Oliver Stone's film, "JFK." In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ray and Schaap lived part-time in New Orleans, where they volunteered and provided legal services and other support for people affected by the storm. Ray is survived by her husband and many friends and loved ones. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 20th, at 4:00pm, at St. Mark's-Church-in-the- Bowery, 131 East 10th Street, New York, NY.