Editor’s note: Raphael “Ray” Guerrette, who died May 25th, Memorial Day, served with the U.S. Navy in World War II and was called back to serve for the Korean War. He volunteered more than 50 years with the Henry B Pratt Post 15 American Legion in Caribou and was Past Commander of the Post.He was a life-long veterans advocate. During his funeral service last week, Kris Doody, RN, CEO of Cary Medical Center paid tribute to Ray. Below is a revised summary of her remarks.
I’m Kris Doody, the CEO for Cary Medical Center and a proud friend of Ray Guerrette. I have known Ray for more than 30 years as part of his veteran’s family. On behalf of Cary Medical Center, veterans in Aroostook County and veterans in all rural and frontier states in our country, we salute Ray. We salute Ray because of the influence he and his fellow veterans had in expanding veterans’ health care services in our county, the state and the nation.
In December, 1979 a small group of seven Aroostook County veterans formed the Aroostook County Veterans Medical Facility Research and Development, Inc. Ray Guerrette was a founding member of that organization. The determination of this small group of veterans spoke to the way they were in battle. Never deterred, always fighting on, and always knowing they were fighting for more than themselves they were fighting for a way of life. That courage and determination served Ray and his colleagues well as they endured year after year, meeting after meeting, obstacle after obstacle to have a Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Caribou, Maine.
Even when the Center Director at Togus, after a meeting with veterans in Caribou, was photographed and quoted as saying the chance for a VA clinic in Caribou was zero, Ray and his band of comrades persevered and won the day. It was a remarkable achievement.
Over the years, never one to steal the limelight, Ray worked vigorously to support the efforts of the corporation. He attended monthly meetings for some seven years before the fruits of the labor were realized, the opening of the first VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in the nation. But Ray did not stop there. He continued to work for additional services. He worked with the board to get the first van to transport veterans from the Caribou Clinic to Togus.
He worked to help establish the second Maine Veterans Home in Caribou which opened in 1990 and then the Residential Care Facility. He served as chairman of the Veterans Group from 1991 through 1993. He was a tremendous Veterans Advocate and continued to serve throughout the remainder of his life in multiple capacities including with the Board of Maine Veterans Homes, the Maine Veterans Home, Liaison Committee, the Caribou Veterans Cemetery, Chairman of the Caribou Veterans Honor Roll Memorial Committeeand more.
These men like Ray Guerrette, who founded or later served on the Veterans Group, were the men who built our nation. They and millions like them went off to foreign lands from small farms, villages, and communities across the country and saw things and experienced things that we cannot even imagine. To think that this group of veterans, here in Aroostook County, northern Maine, were able to move an entire federal bureaucracy like the Veterans Administration to establish a rural health clinic for veterans is almost miraculous.
Not only did Ray Guerrette and his comrades change history for northern Maine, they established a model, a model that now is working in more than 800 rural clinics throughout America helping millions of deserving veterans. It’s hard to say what would have happened if Ray and this small group of veterans had not found the energy, or had the compassion for their fellow veterans to work more than eight years and beyond to build locally available health services for veterans. If they had waited for someone else to do it, would it ever have been done?
As I was talking with the Guerrette family the past few weeks, they had no idea the influence Ray has had in developing and expanding healthcare services for veterans in Aroostook County and beyond.
During his time of influence, Ray met with and knew members of the congressional delegation such as George Mitchell, Bill Cohen, Olympia Snowe, Mike Michaud and Susan Collins. He knew and met with such Governors as Jock McKernan, John Baldacci and Paul LaPage. He made multiple trips to Augusta always advocating and speaking up for the Caribou Clinic, Maine Veterans Homes and Residential Care facility.
A few days after Ray passed away, Sen. Susan Collins sent this email to share at his service:
“Ray’s passing saddens me, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow Veterans. Ray was truly dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans. A kind and thoughtful man and a strong leader, Ray worked diligently on the Veterans’ Home Board of Directors. His part in helping to create the first-in-our-nation Veterans’ Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, right in Caribou, is now a model for the country and a legacy by which we will all remember him. These clinics are now helping Veterans throughout the United States. It was always a pleasure to work with Ray, and I feel fortunate to have known him.”
Over the years in working with the Veterans Group, Cary Medical Center has had the honor of watching this amazing legacy take shape. It has been our privilege to do our part in support of their efforts and we salute them; on this day, we salute Ray Guerrette and his wife Roberta, who served as the historian for the Veterans Clinic Group for many years. United again they will watch from above the never ending work of those who will advocate, for veterans now and for those who will serve in wars yet to be fought. Ray, your work is done, enjoy your time with Birdy. We will miss you. God speed.
