Ray Sinclair, who served on the Town of Tonawanda’s Town Board for more than two decades, died Tuesday at his home. Sinclair had recently celebrated his 81st birthday.
Sinclair made his first inroads into political life in 1979, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Town Board. He was elected to the seat the same year and went on to serve on the board for 26 years. Even after he retired from the position, he still attended the town’s budget meetings regularly, offering both measured praise and constructive criticism to the town leaders as they spent taxpayer money.
But the council chamber wasn’t the only place Sinclair gave back to his community, leaving behind a legacy of community activism and leadership. The list of career choices associated with Sinclair’s name also guides an observer through his passion as a volunteer and public servant.
An early stint as an English teacher led him to service on Mount St. Mary Academy’s board of trustees and the board of governors at Canisius College, where he obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Later, he ran shoe stores in Kenmore and Orchard Park. Expanding on his role as a local business owner, Sinclair became director of the Greater Buffalo Shoe Retailers, served as president of the Kenmore Merchants Association and sat on the executive committee for the Chamber of Commerce’s Ken-Ton Showcase.
Finally, during his time at Hunt Real Estate, Sinclair’s interest in development led him to a spot on the Buffalo Niagara Board of Realtors. He also once held a seat on the board of directors of the Town of Tonawanda Development Corporation.
Sinclair was an Eagle Scout, a first lieutenant in the National Guard and served as president of the Kenmore Rotary Club. Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Schofield Residence and the local Red Cross all owe past successful fundraising campaigns to Sinclair’s leadership.
Church was another area where Sinclair contributed, serving as president of St. Amelia’s Holy Name Society chairman of the church’s building committee. He will be remembered at a Mass of Christian Burial, scheduled for noon today in St. Amelia Catholic Church, 2999 Eggert Road.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ellen; four sons, Peter, Timothy, Thomas and John; and two daughters, Kathy Lannen and Anne Evans.
Local News
October 30, 2009
TOWN OF TONAWANDA: Former town councilman Sinclair dies
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