The former supervisor of advertising for The Royal Gazette, whose tenure spanned an era when print advertising revenues were the lifeblood of newspapers locally and worldwide, was recalled by family and colleagues for a no-nonsense work ethic combined with personal warmth.

Janice Ray’s career at the daily began in the 1960s when the newspaper was printed on a hot press and headquartered at Reid Street in Hamilton.

The mother of three moved with the Gazette to its present location on Par-la-Ville Road and was promoted from associate of advertising to the department head.

All three of her children ‒ Chester, Alden and Dawn ‒ would end up working in some capacity at the company.

Chester, who was quickly recruited into delivering newspapers around their Mount Hill neighbourhood in Pembroke, remembered her as “a kind but stern enforcer”, balancing tight advertising deadlines with getting along amiably with others.

“My mother was one of the strongest and genuinely nicest individuals that I have known,” he added.

“Without her, I wouldn't be the person I am today; I wouldn’t have the values that I have and I wouldn't be where I am professionally.

“She always found a way to provide everything we asked for, and more.”

Ms Ray pressed both of her sons as primary school students into work modelling clothing for advertisements in the paper for Gibbons Company, the English Sports Shop and the International Sports Shop.

When the boys wondered how everyone in her workplace knew them, Ms Ray joked that she had already made them famous.

Alden, who had a 12-year tenure working downstairs on the printing presses, remembered that everything going on below had a habit of making its way upstairs to his mother, and he never wanted to disappoint her.

Dawn, who worked at the Gazette for one summer, said her mother instilled an uncompromising work ethic on all of her children driven by the fact that, as a single mother of three, “mom couldn’t afford to miss work and as a result, her children had to go to school”.

She recalled deciding to quit her first job straight out of high school over a workplace gripe, only for her mother to order her to show up as usual the next day.

“I was flabbergasted ‒ but as I matured as an adult, I came to value that lifelong lesson, which went a long way in preparing me for success in my professional life.”

Rosie Stowe, a former receptionist at the newspaper, was also a neighbour.

She said Ms Ray was “like a sister”.

“She was such a good person and we were close as well because we lived up on Mount Hill,” she added.

“Everybody loved Ms Ray.”

Marsha DuBois, a former supervisor of the classified section at the Gazette, recalled her as a steady hand over the entire department.

“She was a great lady ‒ very kind, very fair, and a lot of fun,” Ms DuBois said.

“She made sure that we kept in line but also that we had a good time.

“I loved working there. I’m going to miss her terribly.”

• Janice Elise Ray, a longstanding advertising supervisor at The Royal Gazette, was born on October 15, 1943. She died on June 27, 2024