Charismatic and loved by everybody lucky enough to meet him, with a big heart, personality, and a smile that lit up your day.

This is how Ray Morrow’s family and friends are remembering the Tauranga man and stockcar racing record-holder who passed away peacefully at home last week, aged 87, with wife Jan by his side.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: ‘Wow! What a ride!’” – written on his funeral sheet on Tuesday.

The second eldest of nine, Ray and his family have been a loved part of the Tauranga community for more than 65 years.

The late Ray Morrow was a bagpipe player. Photo: supplied.

Born in Te Aroha on January 22, 1937, Ray grew up on a South Waikato dairy farm, with the family shifting to a large house on Cameron Rd when Ray was 15.

The person that sold this house to Ray’s father played the bagpipes, hence Ray ended up learning and playing the instrument.

His first job, age 16, was at Bay Motors on Spring St. After meeting his first wife Patricia Barclay in 1959, the couple married in 1962 at the Holy Trinity Church, with Ray wearing his kilt.

The profits of a car sale helped with purchasing a Churchill Rd section where their first home – a Beazley – was built.

Along came three daughters Kaz, Sue and Wendy.

Wheeling and dealing cars 

It’s no surprise to anyone that this was the beginning of his love for wheeling and dealing in cars.

Buying, selling and doing up cars was his thing, says his daughter Sue Milne.

Ray went on to work at Chassis & Steering on Cameron Rd, before starting his own business Tauranga Auto Wreckers in Glasgow St in 1968, with his trademark turquoise colour.

Now with his own workshop, his love for stockcars grew, and he proudly built his first car.

Ray Morrow in his 29M. Photo: Supplied.

Buying an old Morris Minor body way up the back of Oropi, he towed it back to Glasgow St, put in a Pontiac straight 6 motor and hit the track.

That motor went for a long time at Forest Lake with Ray becoming a well-known driver at Baypark for years.

Taking a rest from stockcar racing in 1970, he traded the stockcar for a V8 Hartley ski boat.

While watching stockcars at Paradise Valley one evening, he spotted a car go round the corner and up the straight leading the race, and thought “that’ll do me”.

He then negotiated the Hartley boat for the car, 29M, which took him on to win the National Championships in Stratford in 1975.

Ray Morrow in his 29M. Photo: Supplied.

Growing old disgracefully 

After selling Tauranga Auto Wreckers, Ray purchased the 15th Ave lunch bar and car sales yard, and started wheeling and dealing in cars.

Developing property in Robins Rd, becoming involved with the Lions Club in Tauranga, joining Dick Brady at Para Motors and then moving to Levers Rd where his love of motorbikes and motorhomes grew – it all led on to “growing old disgracefully”.

The late Ray Morrow with his motorcycle. Photo: supplied.

Travel, cruise ships, joining the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, touring the US, Canada and Australia, backpacking through Europe, and trips away with family and friends – there was also home life on a kiwifruit orchard, with chooks, a chainsaw, gumboots and grandchildren.

Ray and his well-established Tauranga family have seen the city grow with the population increasing from around 14,000 in the early-1950s to more than 130,000 today.

In his element, in gumboots, on a bulldozer or with a chainsaw, transforming his piece of paradise whether it was Robins Rd or Courtney Rd, Ray will be remembered with great fondness and love for his humour, laugh and joy of life.

The late Ray Morrow. Photo: supplied.