Ray Yedding, Roamin’ Angel President Emeritus
August 10, 1936 – November 5, 2025
It’s been said that Ray might not remember what year something happened, but he could tell you what car he was driving—and the names of everyone who was there.
Early Years
Born in Dubois, near Pittsburgh, PA, Ray grew up in Richmond, Indiana as the adopted son of Maria and Robert Yedding. His Bavarian father was strict, and Ray was naturally a bit rebellious. In high school, he dove headfirst into the hot rod scene with the support of an understanding shop teacher. His first car was a ’36 Packard 120 convertible coupe he never got to drive, followed by a ’36 Ford 3-window coupe that held a special place in his heart forever.
Navy and the Vagabond Years
After Navy service that included Underwater Demolition Training (where he lost much of his hearing), Ray lived a colorful life—summers as a lifeguard in Indiana, winters as an Arthur Murray dance instructor and nightclub MC in Florida. His father didn’t approve, naturally. Ray also discovered his talent for sales, starting with stainless cookware door-to-door, and his love for buying and selling cars at auctions.
Inspired by the TV show Route 66, Ray bought a ’54 Corvette to explore the “Better Parts of Life.” He quickly traded it for his first Cadillac—a ’53 Coupe de Ville. Over the years, Ray owned virtually everything with wheels: cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and airplanes.
The Best Part
But the best experience of all began in 1975 when Ray, living in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, invited a beautiful bank teller named Tina for coffee. She was so surprised he wasn’t hitting on her that she said yes. It only took Ray ten years to propose.
In 1983, Ray moved to Grass Valley to work at the Omelet Pan on Joerschke Drive. When he asked Tina in 1985 to quit her high paying job, leave LA and her parents, and move to the Northern California wilderness, she said yes. They bought their home in Alta Sierra, and Tina’s parents later moved in too. (Ray always got along great with his in-laws.)
The Roamin Angels
Ray’s involvement with the Roamin Angels began in the early ’90s when car enthusiasts met Friday mornings at Humpty Dumpty (Note: they still do). What started as 12 guys talking cars with no officers, bylaws, or dues eventually grew into something more. When the informal approach stopped working, the club organized. The first president, Lanny Netz, passed the reins to Ray after a couple of months—and Ray led the club for twelve years, helping build it into one of Northern California’s premiere car clubs.
Ray’s beliefs in community service, positivity, and doing your best were evident in both his life and the Roamin Angels. He knew every member by name and something interesting about each one. Every Friday morning at 7:15, Ray became the Master of Ceremonies—some things never change.
Family and Legacy
Ray worked as a manufacturer’s rep from home and had two sons: Greg in San Francisco and Bryan in Sacramento (who works at American Pastimes Hot Rod Shop). Both still loved talking with him. Tina left banking to become a cosmetologist. Ray’s father-in-law passed away, but Vi continued living in the house behind Ray and Tina.
Ray current rod was a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible.
If you ever had the chance to talk with Ray, you could ask him about anything—chances are he’d done it, knew about it, and would genuinely listen while you talked. And if you got him going (which wasn’t hard), you’d hear some of the wildest tales ever told and they would be true.
