May 22, 1948 - March 4, 2006
On March 4, 2006, an event occurred that had an impact on everyone who is or will be a practitioner of the Shorinji Toraken Ryu system of martial arts and a member of the American Kempo Karate Association. It was on this day that a beloved and talented member of our organization passed away from this earth to gain his rewards in heaven. William Raymond Siniard was a martial artist that truly exemplifies the qualities that we as martial artists should strive for. He was a humble man, who was easy to overlook amidst a crowd of taller, more talkative karate practitioners at a seminar. Yet for some reason when this unassuming man talked everyone listened, knowing that this was indeed a very wise man with much skill and knowledge to impart. Ray has contributed an immeasurable amount to this system, constantly striving to improve the art and help the system grow. His knowledge of the foundations of the Toraken Ryu art let Soke Ferrell to name him as the official historian of the system, a task that Ray performed flawlessly. At the first annual “AKKA Traditions” camp that was held in August of 2004 Ray presented a seminar on the history of the Shorinji Toraken Ryu system which all of the participants at the camp attended. Each student said that they truly felt as though they were a part of a centuries old tradition instead of “just a karate student” following this presentation. After Ray’s funeral, Ray’s wife Marie said that being a part of the camp was one of the best things Ray had ever experienced, and could not say enough about how happy it made Ray to be a member of our organization. It is for that reason that beginning in 2006, the “AKKA Traditions” camp has been renamed as the “Ray Siniard Traditions” camp in honor of the sacrifices that Ray has made to support the Shorinji Toraken Ryu system of martial arts. Ray’s death has had an impact on all those who have known him, and will have an even greater impact on those who never had the chance to meet him and benefit from his teachings, for they are missing out on more than simply great karate instruction, but a lesson on life which is truly invaluable.
Following his death, Ray’s wife Marie was asked for a little more background on the life of her husband. Following is the letter that she wrote detailing the facts of Ray’s experiences on this earth.
This is the letter that Marie Siniard wrote in response to our request to detail the events of Ray’s life.
Dear Ray Ferrell - Hope this helps, it may be more than you were wanting. First I wanted you to know how deeply moved I was that you would want to honor Ray in such a way. William Raymond Siniard
Ray was born May 22, 1948. He grew up in a small community called Little River, near Brevard, NC, on a family farm. His keen sense of the elements stayed with him all of his life. Ray had a deep appreciation for all things in nature and how they work together to achieve the ultimate goal.
In high school he was on the track team, swim team, and football team. Anyone who knew Ray was aware of his small size, but in high school football he earned the “Mr. Guts” award. He always took on the bigger challenge. Later the kids nicknamed their dad “scrappy” – He made a practice dummy the size of a human out of pvc pipe – he put shoes and clothes on it and he became known as Mr. Scrappy – he was later relegated to the garden as a scarecrow but somehow the name “scrappy” stuck with Ray – “Little Scrappy”.
He joined the Navy in 1966 and became a corpsman. He was attached to the 3rd Marines out of Camp Pendleton, California. He spent time in Vietnam along the DMZ. He was set to go to college but joined the military for the adventure.
After his military service he became a civil engineer and worked with the N.C. D.O.T. When his Uncle retired from the family business he joined his father in Siniard Bros. Construction. They did grading and excavation work, building roads, parks, and landscaping. When his father retired Ray decided to go into nursing where he became a R.N. He worked on a cardiology unit for close to 20 years until his illness.
Ray had not given karate much thought – he did enjoy watching the old Bruce Lee movies from time to time – (of course to make fun of the language). When his son began taking a class Ray got into it to pass the time while waiting. As time went by karate became a major role in his life. When Don Fisher was transferred with his job Ray, being the highest ranked adult at the time was asked if he could assist Bill Cogswell with classes. Ray as usual took it on as a new adventure.
Karate not only inspired his physical well being, but it was a major factor in his spiritual well being. When Ray was diagnosed with cancer he continued his karate even while on chemotherapy. One of the darkest days for Ray was when he could no longer conduct classes. This really took a toll on him. He dearly loved his students and every class was an adventure – to teach and mold a student. During his illness karate gave Ray some sense of normalcy – even on his worst days of chemo he would try a few moves or do the chi-gung breathing.
Over time Ray developed a deep respect for the Kempo system. His hope was to see it grow and develop. He was honored to be a part of it, and honored to have known the individuals who kept the system alive.
One of Ray’s very pet peeves was these fly by night systems – he could really get wound up. He could talk karate for hours. When he would drive down to Charlotte for a work out he would talk for hours to me of every aspect of the new things he learned. He never tired of Kempo. I felt as much a part of it just listening to him.
This summary is written in the text of me being Ray’s wife. It may be more emotional than what you are looking for. Please feel free to use what you can and toss the rest.
An extra note – it was one of Ray’s dreams to host a camp up here in the mountains. Over time he conveyed to me every detail, from arrival to the end – the activities to the eats, how he would put every body up for the night, workout times, down time…. It is humbling to me to know you would name a camp session in his honor. He dearly loved and respected you guys. As he watched Kevin grow into a young man and the vision you have Ray, for the system to grow. Karate was such a part of his life and it’s an honor for me to know all of you – take care
- Marie Siniard
