Keve Bray = Seattle?

Subject: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Deckman
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 05:38 PM

I while ago, perhaps 3 years (?), I connected briefly with a mudcatter that had known of Keve Bray, in Seattle. I knew Keve quite well and he had a powerful impact on me as a performer, in the late 50's and early 60's.

As I recall, this mudcatter was in Grad school studying Social Work at the University of Washington. I have gone through several e-mail carrier changes over the recent months, and I have lost my e-mail contact with this person. I'm hoping that he sees this note and will contact me again. And I also would like to talk with anyone else who remembers the late Keve Bray. Thanks for reading this ... Bob (deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Deckman
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 03:10 PM

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: GUEST,Jim Blyth
Date: 19 Sep 09 - 04:14 PM

I knew Keve Bray well from 1969 - 1970. He was an adjunct professor at Highline Community College. I learned a lot from him and transported him frequently from the college to his home in the Central area of Seattle. Oddly enough, his wife Olivia Bray was one of my elementary school teachers in the 5th and 6th grade at Whitworth Elementary School. I knew his kids as Ms. Bray would bring them to school on special occassions.

I too would like to more about what happened to my friend Keve Bray. Please let me know any new information you have found.

Jim Blyth
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Don Firth
Date: 19 Sep 09 - 04:35 PM

Jim, it may be a week or two before you hear from Deckman (Bob Nelson) because he is currently on concert tour in Idaho.

I met Keve Bray a few times through Bob, but Bob knew him quite well, and did some performances with him (e.g., a wonderful stage dramatization of James Weldon Johnson's God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse). Bob (backstage) provided guitar accompaniment to a haunting song sung by Keve's wife.

As soon as Bob gets back from Idaho, I'll alert him to check this thread.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Sep 09 - 10:12 PM

Hi Jim ... Bob Nelson here, in Idaho. I'm visiting with "Rapaire", and using his puter and moniker. I read your comments about Keve. Quite a guy! I'll be back home in about a week, after we get done with Idaho and Montana. When I return, I'll refresh this thread and get back to you by private e-mail about the details of Keve's death. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Deckman
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 10:44 AM

Hi Jim ... We are back from the wild west. As I promised, I opened this thread. A little later on today I'll PM you with the details of Keve's death. bob nelson

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Deckman
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 11:27 AM

Attention clones ... this thread should be moved to the BS section. thanx, bob

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Deckman
Date: 27 Sep 09 - 08:17 PM

Hi Jim ... IT's being Sunday evening here in the Seattle area. It looks like we are about four time zones away from each other. I've got both your business phone and your cell phone number. I'd like to talk with you on the phone and discuss Keve's death. If you'll suggest a good time for me to call you tomorrow, Monday, we can talk about things. CHEERS, Bob Nelson

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 May 13 - 05:42 AM

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: Deckman
Date: 30 May 13 - 10:17 AM

Bob Nelson, here in Everett, Washington. I see that "guest" has opened this thread again. Please contact me if you'd like to have more information regarding the late Keve Bray. bob

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: GUEST,Dan Norman
Date: 17 Jun 20 - 02:12 AM

In 1958-59 had Keve Bray in 7th grade at Puget Sounds Jr. Hi for two hours of English and one of social studies. He was a demanding teacher with very high standards. We went completely through the grammar book (diagramming sentences, etc.) twice during the year. He introduced us to Shakespeare and the great literature. He loaned me a book on the history of Africa, which seemed to me at the time to be relatively rare. For me he was a very formative teacher---certainly one of the top three during my 12 years in the Highline school district. I wish I had had him in high school. The year following 7th grade, I had my parents invite him and his family to our house for dinner. He wanted to hire me to cut his lawn, but I had no way to get to his house. I had my mother take me to see God's Trombones at the Moore Theater. I recall him running for the state legislature as a Republican. I saw him once when I was in college. It was a shock to hear of his death.

Subject: RE: Keve Bray = Seattle?
From: GUEST,Carolyn Nomura
Date: 16 Sep 22 - 05:12 AM

I attended Puget Sound Junior H.S. when Keve Bray taught 7th grade in 1959-60. I was assigned to another English class, but my best friend had Mr. Bray and told me in detail about his teaching as we walked to pppppppp from school. He was a compelling, innovative teacher and performer, and also frightening. He re-seated students into an academic pecking order. He ridiculed the boy that he considered to be the dumbest student, causing him such distress that he vomited. Luckily whenI attended Glacier High, he wasn't teaching there. I wouldn't have been able to look at him without thinking of that traumatized 7th-grader. From what I heard and read, he was a brilliant educator, a conflicted, angry person who swung from Republican office-seeker to Black separatist, and a family man. What, I wonder, became of his children?