Ray Andrew Miles
Ray Andrew Miles, 74, died Feb. 16, 2018, from diabetes and heart conditions. He lived at Charlestown Retirement Community. He was musical director for several UM churches: Cheverley, Lanham and Savage UMCs and most recently at Trinity UMC in Catonsville.
Ray Andrew Miles was born in 1944, the son of Ray Miles Sr. and Emma Ridgeway, and grew up in Laurel. When he was 15, his father was killed in an armed robbery at the family grocery store.
He was a graduate of Laurel H.S. and obtained advanced degrees from the University of Maryland in music and education, He taught music and special education for the Prince George’s County Schools. He also taught both piano and vocal privately.
Miles worked with numerous theaters and dinner theaters and devoted tine to Catonsville Youth Theatre and Lanham Youth Theatre. He produced and directed Handel’s Messiah and was a member of the Gay Men’s Chorus. He wrote and produced “The Charlestown Follies” for his retirement home.
He loved to travel and attended numerous Christian conferences, training sessions and youth rallies around the country. Each summer he made several trips to Ocean City and annually went to Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles where he and the late Robert Schuller’s grandson became friends.
He was politically active for equal rights, economic fairness and healthcare for all Americans.
Contributions in his memory may be made to your local United Methodist Church.