Ray R. Poliakoff, 86 of Denton, passed away on Saturday, September 24, 2005 at Baylor Hospital of Plano. He was born March 12, 1919 in New York, New York to Morris and Sophie (Green) Poliakoff. He served in the United States Army in a Reconnaissance Intelligence Unit in Europe during World War II and was twice wounded in combat.

After the war he attended Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana University School of Law with a Bachelor of Law and Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree. He also received a Master of Arts Degree in Humanities from the University of Evansville, Indiana. Even though Ray retired in 1984 and in 1988 went on inactive status as an Indiana attorney in good standing, he remained a long-standing member of the American Bar Association and was, until recently, a member of the ABA Section on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law; Science and Technology; and Individual Rights and Responsibilities.

He was married to Dr. Ann Stuart on August 22, 1980 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ray was very active in oil and gas exploration and development and was a retained corporate attorney, trouble-shooter, and negotiator for Northern Illinois Coal Corporation, Sentry Royalty Company, Sinclair Coal Company, Peabody Coal Company, and their respective subsidiaries and affiliated coal, oil and gas, rail and barge transportation, and real estate corporation from 1949 to 1961.

He was an independent oil producer from 1961 to 1973, and was a Principal and Executive Vice President of a private precious metal mining concern from 1973 to 1975. Ray served AMAX, Inc. and subsidiaries, AMAX Coal Company, AMAX Tennessee, and AMAX West Virginia respectively as Senior Real Estate Representative, Chief Landman, and Senior Real Estate Representative and Acquisition Specialist from 1975 to 1984, during which time he had the right from AMAX to engage in his oil and gas business that was not in their areas of interest.

He served as a Principal and Executive Vice President of Data Tech Corporation, and oil exploration, development, and production company from 1983 to 1987. During the period of 1949 to 1989, he also worked with various national and international concerns and individuals in coal, oil and gas, and other natural resource ventures and concessions in the U. S., Alaska, Canada, Europe, Australia, the Mid East and the Far East. From 1990 to 1998, during his retirement, he was engaged in investing in listed stocks, leaving the market in mid-1998. Ray has been contacted and engaged occasionally as a consultant in the Texas Barnett Shale Gas Play.

A remembrance service will be held at 2 P.M. Wednesday, September 28, 2005 in the Hubbard Hall on the TWU Campus. Burial will follow in the Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Florida Visitation will be from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Tuesday, September 26, 2005, at Mulkey-Mason, Jack Schmitz and Son Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials are requested to the Ann Stuart and Ray R. Poliakoff Scholarship Endowment Fund, Texas Woman's University Foundation, P. O. Box 425618, Denton, TX 76204-5618.

Mr. Poliakoff is survived by his wife Dr. Ann Stuart, of Denton, daughters, Linda Freelove, of Elk Grove, California and Sharon Poliakoff, and Judy Poliakoff, of Booneville, Indiana and son Ray Poliakoff, of Dublin, California, and Grandchildren. He was a member of the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.

Mulkey-Mason, Jack Schmitz and Son Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.