Gary Ray is an Asheville, NC resident who retired in 2007 from the NC Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped where he was the Director of Volunteer Services.

Prior to coming to the library, he worked as a rehabilitation counselor for the Division of Services for the Blind, and in private industry. He attended public schools in North Carolina and is a 1973 graduate of N. C. State University with a degree in history, and a letter in fencing.

Gary is married, and is originally from Weaverville, a small town north of Asheville. He has a stepson, and three grandchildren: Caleb, Emily, and Grace. He has an older brother, who is blind, and a younger sister. He has Inverse Retinitis Pigmentosa and has been blind since 1980.