Purdue's HTM Program Mourns Loss of Ray Kavanaugh

For the past 11 years I had the privilege of working two doors down from Ray Kavanaugh, who was our department head in the Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University. I learned a great deal about what it takes to be a strong leader while working for Ray over the years because he was able to motivate and inspire people to reach goals they might not have once thought possible to make themselves and our department better off as a result.

Although we were a ranked program before he joined us, there is no doubt that Ray put us in the national spotlight because he brought with him all the contacts he had made in the industry, while working as director of human resources for Red Lobster, and the leadership positions he held at the American Hotel and Lodging Education Foundation, Educational Insititute of American Hotel and Lodging Association, and National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (as its chair at one point); not to mention all the academic contacts he had made through his leadership and service to the International Council of Hospitality Restaurant and Institutional Educators, where he at one point served as its President. That is also why it should come as no surprise to anyone that Ray's drive for excellence and achievement led to a decorated career with a tremendous amount of industry and academic accomplishments that culminated recently in the Michael E. Hurst Lifetime Achievement Award and the Anthony G. Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ray had a passion for education as evidenced by his insistence upon teaching a course with the incoming freshmen every year so he could get to know them, and vice-versa. He was always available to prospective students visiting with parents who wanted to learn about our program (which was uncommon during visits to other campuses and greatly appreciated according to those who visited). He also did his part to advise, mentor, educate, and counsel undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Ray also had a passion for sports, especially Purdue sports. I would have dared anyone to have a greater command of the names of the players and coaches as well as team stats when the season was underway. You could always find him at a home football or basketball game dressed in Purdue gear from head to toe. When he was out of town on business and could not attend a game he would always give the tickets away to faculty, staff, alums, or industry partners who might have liked to attend that particular game. He also found a way to get tickets for games that were in high demand and short supply for alums and industry contacts that were in town and wanted to see the game.

Ray's legacy also lives on in his two sons, Ryan and Quinn, who both developed a passion for the foodservice industry and now managing restaurants for fine dining chains today. His son Ryan graduated from the HTM department while Quinn graduated from Oklahoma State, where Ray was department head before joining Purdue. Ray is also survived by his wife, Judy Rechberger, who teaches in the English Department at Purdue.

Memorial services for Ray are this Wednesday at St. Thomas Aquinas Center, 403 Wood Street, West Lafayette, IN, at 4 pm (October 15). Memorials to Purdue Foundation in memory of Ray Kavanaugh for the Marriott Hall Building Fund can be made in the form of a check made payable to Purdue Foundation. You can also send condolences by visiting http://www.soller-baker.com/