Your Story Matters Here: Eric and Chrissy Ray
Eric and Chrissy Ray weren’t exactly high school sweethearts, but perhaps you could say love was in the air.
They met at age 16 in their hometown of Wilson, N.C., about an hour east of Raleigh. Despite attending rival high schools, they quickly became good friends as their inner circles of friends merged into one. After graduating in 2001, Chrissy attended Nash Community College and Eric went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. That separation made them realize that maybe there was more than just friendship between them.
“When I left for school, she was the only one I missed,” Eric says.
They started dating over Christmas break that year and have been together since, getting married shortly after Eric graduated from the Academy in 2005.
For the next 12-plus years, Eric served in active duty as a U.S. Air Force pilot, while Chrissy became actively involved in building relationships with other military families.
“As a military spouse, you have to embrace that role,” she says.
Along the way, they spent time in South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Alaska, Oklahoma and California before landing in Pittsburgh seven years ago when he retired from active duty. He’s now a pilot with Delta Airlines, currently on military leave and working at the USAF Reserve 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township; he plans to return to Delta in 2026.
Of their previous landing spots during his active-duty career, Chrissy says Alaska stands out.
“I was crying when he got that assignment,” she says. “We moved there in the middle of winter. Before that, I had hardly seen snow, let alone driven in it. But Anchorage is an amazing place. It became an adventure and we loved it. He had the best squadron there, and it was like we all became a family.”
A family that shared a national tragedy.
On July 28, 2010, an Air Force C-17 – from Eric’s unit, and the same type of plane he was flying – crashed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, while practicing for an air show. All four crew members were killed; it’s still the only fatal accident of a C-17. A few weeks later Eric and his squadron commander piloted the first C-17 flight after the crash. Chrissy was a bit apprehensive, but not Eric.
“After the crash, when our crews started flying again, some people were questioning if this was what they wanted to do with their life,” he said. “I never had those doubts. I told people, even if I knew I was going to die, I wouldn’t stop doing it. I’m 100 percent convinced this is what I was meant to do. I remember watching space shuttle launches when I was 5 years old and wanting to be an astronaut.
“I just love flying and teaching others how to fly. Flying is never the same. The conditions are always different, the planes have different weights, the aerodynamics are always different. You don’t get bored. I wouldn’t do so well at an office job; in my office, I have a bird’s eye view from 35,000 feet.”
Perhaps his favorite “view” came when he was flying in a test squadron out of Edwards Air Force Base in California.
“I got to do some cool things there,” he says. “Like flight testing for the Orion space capsule, dropping it from 35,000 feet. And dropping ICBMs out of the back of the plane so they could test the missile defense shield.”
He’s always been gratified to be involved in humanitarian missions around the world, such as bringing relief supplies to Mauritania.
“I’ve seen the impact this country has on other people throughout the world, and it’s eye-opening and really rewarding,” he says. “We get to provide aid and see the impact, whether in times of war or peacetime. Putting others first is ingrained through basic training and serving is the definition of our role.”
While serving, he and his colleagues also find time to reflect on their worldview, quite literally.
“Sometimes as we’re cruising across the ocean, we have a lot of great conversations on that flight deck,” Eric says. “We talk about everything from how to fix the problems of the world to our faith and God. When you’re flying at night and you see the Northern Lights, you can’t help but appreciate the beauty of it all.”
Despite loving to fly, Eric says the job, like any other, comes with challenges.
“Flying and doing worldwide missions is fun, but being away from family is the biggest challenge,” he says. “Deployments are hard, with not being able to plan what you’re going to do all the time. I never missed a Christmas while in the military, but I probably missed 70 percent of our anniversaries and birthdays.”
“It’s hard when you move a lot and don’t have family close by,” Chrissy agrees. “Over time, you start to build a support system and make friends with people who have the same military lifestyle, but it’s tough at times.”
For Eric and Chrissy, faith has always played an important role in their lives. They found Dutilh on-line during Covid and Eric remembers being drawn in by Pastor Tom’s sermons.
“In the first sermon we watched, Tom was talking about the void in your life and coming back to Jesus,” he says. “Well, it felt like he was speaking directly to me at the time. Then the next Sunday, same thing. I kept wondering, how’s he doing this? It was too coincidental.”
They attended Dutilh’s open house in 2021, and enjoyed meeting and talking to people, but there was still a final test that the church had to pass: Let’s call it The Book of Luke.
For years, military doctors told Eric and Chrissy they could never have children. That was until Chrissy met with her civilian provider for the first time after arriving in Pittsburgh.
“We had stopped thinking we could have children,” Chrissy says. “But this new doctor said she thought it was possible after a small surgery and a giant leap of faith. We just looked at each other like, ‘Is this lady crazy?’ Three months later, we were expecting. It just shows that you can have a plan but maybe God has a different one.”
Luke was born on Dec. 31, 2019, so when the couple was shopping for a church, he played a role in their decision.
“Luke had never been away from us, so I was nervous about letting him go to the nursery during Sunday services,” Chrissy says. “But he took to Miss Jean in the nursery so fast it made us feel very comfortable. He loves her and looks forward to seeing her every Sunday. Now he runs around Dutilh like he owns the place, so he found a connection, too.”
Since joining Dutilh, Eric and Chrissy have made their own connections. She’s involved in MOPs, and volunteers for the flea market and VBS decorator, and he co-leads a Bible study on Sunday mornings.
“It’s always felt like we were meant to be here,” he says.
At Dutilh, love is in the air, too.