Ray Longhi

As a husband, father, brother, son and grandfather, Ray Longhi was a family man who always took care of his loved ones. He was doing exactly that on Tuesday, Nov. 5, when he was struck and killed by a private jet outside Falcon Field in Mesa while on his way to pick up his wife at work.

Born on March 27, 1957, Ray was adopted into an Italian American family from Yonkers, New York. He graduated from Archbishop Stepinac Catholic High School before heading west to attend the University of Arizona. He later transferred and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in English.

He then lived for 8 years in Taiwan, where he learned Mandarin Chinese while teaching English to students of all ages. While in Taiwan, he met his future wife Ada Tsai. They married in 1989 and had two children, Vincent and Lorraine.

Longhi loved music – from classical music to classic rock – was an avid reader and student of history, and had a ceaseless desire to explore the world. Never afraid of a challenge, he constantly pursued careers across the country and world, always ready to welcome a new adventure. He was jovial, kind, generous and loved making jokes to try and make the people around him smile. He loved telling stories and was always interested in engaging with other people and learning about their passions.

In addition to Ada, Vincent, and Lorraine, Ray is survived by his mother Rita, sister Lisa, brother Paul, daughter-in-law Samantha and grandson Charlie. He was deeply loved, and will be deeply missed.