VALE RAY JEPPESEN
It is with a sad and heavy heart that the Foundation Committee along with the Queensland and Far North Queensland Chapters advise of the passing of our Queensland Chapters Patron Ray Jeppesen.
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Ray passed away on Saturday, the 10th of November at 11.25am beside his devoted wife Lyn and their two boys David and Andrew.
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Ray’s funeral service will be held at 2pm on Thursday, the 15th of November, at St Augustine’s Anglican Church, 56 Racecourse Road, Hamilton (Brisbane).
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Ray had a distinguished 35 years at Qantas which included a number senior management positions and overseas postings as Country Manager in Egypt, Germany, Greece and served for two terms in the UK.
Ray was also the State Manager for NSW and in the 1980’s he moved back to his hometown of Brisbane to take up his final position as State Manager before his retirement in 1989.
The 1980’s were very special times for Qantas in Queensland and it was also the era of great growth and transformation for the State. It was a decade where Queensland received an influx of Japanese tourists, and with it came - investment and infrastructure. Brisbane had Expo 88, and the Gold Coast and Cairns were introduced to International Hotels, Casinos, Sanctuary Cove and the Ultimate Event. It was also the decade that marked the 50th anniversary of the first Qantas flight out of Brisbane.
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“Jeppo” (to his close friends) was at the forefront of these milestones and as the Queensland State Manager, his leadership was one of the most influential of our time. He led us through the growth and influenced a new way of thinking which paved the way for the coming decades.
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After his retirement from Qantas, he consulted to Air New Zealand and Emirates Airlines before becoming an aviation advisor to the Queensland Government where he was credited for successfully negotiating the establishment of Virgin Blue’s Headquarters in Brisbane.