Ray Miron

TULSA — Rodolph “Ray” Miron, 92, died early Friday, August 28, at his home at Inverness Village following a heart attack. The lifelong hockey fan is preceded in death by his wife Rowena Miron and his brother Gerard Miron. He is survived by his son Monte and wife Judy, daughter Cindy, grandchildren Danielle, Dane, Michelle, Corbin and wife Marianne, two great-grandchildren, Delaney and Dylan. He has one surviving brother, Hubert Miron of Cornwall, Ontario. “Ray, or ‘Papa’ as he was known to his family, lived a long and full life and touched the lives of everyone he met, and we’re thankful for the time we were able to have with him,” the family said. “We would also like to thank the staff and residents of Inverness Village for the friendships that he made and cherished in his final years.” Born the son of Gurdy Miron and Louise Primeau-Miron on March 20, 1923, Ray grew up an avid athlete. He competed in lacrosse, baseball and football, but it was hockey that was his first love. He rose through the amateur ranks until a June 1944 mustard gas accident at the plant he worked in left him severely burned and helped to end his playing career. Undeterred following his recovery, Miron continued his work in sports by moving into arena management and promoting concerts for artists such as Tommy Dorsey and Louis Armstrong. During this time he was engaged to Rowena Baker, and the pair married in June 1949 and were married for 54 years before her death in 2003. After stints in New Jersey and Tennessee, Miron first experienced Oklahoma when he moved to Tulsa to work with the Oilers, at the time the Toronto Maple Leafs’ farm team. He was appointed president of the Central Hockey League in 1976, but served just three months before resigning to become the first general manager of the Colorado Rockies. Working in this NHL was a “dream come true” for Miron, and he served as GM for five years before moving back to settle in Tulsa. But hockey wasn’t done with Miron, and in 1992 along with Bill Levins he founded the new Central Hockey League under the concept of central ownership. The league began with six teams — including the Tulsa Oilers and Oklahoma City Blazers — and enjoyed runaway success. With his son at his side as commissioner, Miron served as president of the league until his retirement in 1999. Miron’s career culminated in 2003, when he received a call from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman informing him he had been named a recipient of the Lester Patrick Award, an honor given annually to recipients who had a significant impact on the growth of hockey in the United States. “Next to the Hall of Fame, I think the Lester Patrick Award is the best award you can win," he said shortly after receiving the honor. "To be named alongside past winners like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Scotty Bowman makes me feel pretty humble." Memorial services are at 11 a.m. Friday at Inverness Village, 3800 W 71st St. Following the service, Miron’s ashes will be placed with his wife’s at the Saint Lawrence Valley Cemetery in Ingleside, Ontario, less than a mile from where Rowena was born.

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Ray Miron

March 20, 1923 - August 28, 2015