I had the pleasure of meeting Ray and Mark several times when I was living in Wanaka, New Zealand.
I specifically remember one time, standing with Mark at the taxiway/runway intersection as Ray took-off in Tim Wallis' Mk XVI Spitfire, FUP.
Ray had a particular technique when getting airborne in the Spitfire, he'd stay very low, get the gear up and then sort of drop down a bit lower till he got to the threshold, then he'd climb out. What made it most interesting to watch was that, as the gear was coming up, the Spitfire would be wobbling around a bit with the wingtips dipping down to a few feet of the ground, and the nose pitching about. Presumably it was all to do with having to change hands on the stick to get at the gear lever.
Anyway, we're watching him take-off and he does his usual thing, looking like he's going to clip a wing any moment. I look over at Mark, who's grinning madly and shaking his head, he says "Jesus I hate the way he does that." It was quite obvious that he didn't hate it at all and was as enthralled as I was.
I am saddened by the loss but also happy that Ray, despite the many hours spent engaging in a fairly high risk activity, made it into his late seventies and was taken by natural causes rather than some misadventure in a warbird.
R.I.P.