Erwin Ray Sender, 73, of Louisville, Kansas, died Friday, September 9, 2022, as a result of a motorcycle accident. He was a life-long resident of the area.
Ray was born on January 27, 1949, in Manhattan, Kansas, the son of Harry and Althea (Zea) Sender. He attended local grade school and St. George High School. He studied to become a Machinist at the Topeka Vo-Tech.
Ray worked most of his adult life as a Millwright for Union, Local 918. He traveled doing jobs all over the country. His hobby, and passion, was motorcycles. He worked tirelessly as a motorcycle mechanic. Ray and his brother, Danny, owned American Air Cooled Motors, motorcycle repair shop for 38 years.
Ray also raced competitively with his race bike, but his favorite was his 1940 Harley Davidson Knucklehead. He also had purchased a 1953 Studebaker Commander car he hoped to refurbish. Ray was an active and loyal member of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. In his earlier years, Ray played a lot of baseball and softball.
Ray married Rose Ann Mausling on March 19, 1975, in Miami, Oklahoma. She survives at their home.
Ray is also survived by his daughter, Leslie Sender, St. George; his grandsons, Cameron Sender, Tyler Newman, and Donavon Wilson; his siblings, Mary Rutherford, Louisville, Ellan Spivey, Rossville, Danny Sender (Maria), Wamego, Robert Sender (Liz), Riley, Penny Bahret (Ernie), Lecompton, Johnny Sender (Donna), Wamego, and Peggy McClain (Daniel), Onaga; his dog, Joe; as well as many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Campanella and Stewart Funeral Home in Wamego. Burial will follow in Louisville Cemetery. Ray will lie-in-state on Friday, beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the funeral home, where the family will greet friends from 6:00 pm until 8:00 p.m.