
Ray Dwyer was an outstanding athlete, teacher, coach and nationally recognized sports official throughout his long, accomplished life in Rhode Island. Born in the Rumford section of East Providence on July 21, 1923, Ray was the son of Edward M. and Mary F. (nee Mather) Dwyer. His track prowess began as a student at LaSalle Academy where he earned varsity letters in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and served as team captain in his senior year. He was a member of the Rams 4 x800 championship Penn Relays team.
A proud military veteran, during WWII, Dwyer served three years in the Navy’s Mobile Construction Battalions (Seabees) in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. After his military service, Ray returned home and enrolled in the University of Rhode Island where he earned nine varsity letters in track and field and where he was active in many on- campus endeavors. Dwyer graduated in 1950 and, armed with a degree in accounting, began teaching and coaching at LaSalle Academy before moving on to a 26-year career at Cranston High School East. His coaching career also involved stints at Bishop Hendricken High School, Pilgrim High School, Rhode Island College, Bryant University and Roger Williams University. He coached cross country and track at the high school and collegiate level for 52 years.
An example of Ray’s personal, hands-on approach to coaching was demonstrated in the special help he gave to his present nominator Pat Conley. As La Salle Academy coach in 1955, Ray drove from his Warwick home through South Providence every school day to pick-up Pat, a high jumper on the Indoor Track Team, for pre-class practice. That magnanimous gesture paid-off! La Salle won the state Indoor Track Championship beating Hope High School by 2/3rds of a point. Conley supplied two of La Salle’s total by placing third in the high jump. Fifty years later when Pat was president and participant in the Rhode Island Senior Olympics, Ray helped to organize each annual meet. Ray served as secretary-treasurer for the Rhode Island Interscholastic Injury Fund for more than four decades and expanded the program to include all sports injuries rather than those suffered in football only.
Numerous Rhode Island road races bear Ray’s name and the first two Ocean State Marathons were run under his direction. He was a highly respected Rhode Island Track and USA Track and Field official. His time spent working with disabled athletes was especially rewarding for Ray and led to his involvement with The Special Olympics Rhode Island, New England Wheelchair Athletic Association and National Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association. He was included in the first class of inductees into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Hall of Fame in 2003, and a dozen other Halls of Fame. He was the recipient of awards, citations, recognitions and tributes too numerous to mention. Ray and his wife of 69 years, Rose E. Hughes had five children – Kathleen, Raymond Jr., Mary, Donald, and the late Danny. They were blessed with twelve grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Ray resided in Warwick, Rhode Island for 54 years. He died on April 28, 2021.
Raymond T. Dwyer was inducted into The Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2024.