Raymond B. Bottom Jr. loved airplanes more than anything else in the world. He could tell you the make and model of an airplane by it's sound or silhouette. Had he been born into a different family, he would have been a career pilot, but Raymond was born to a newspaper, radio and cable tv family, and he loved the 'media business' (as he called it) too. He died Wednesday morning February 7, 2018 at age 88.
Born to the late Dorothy Rouse Bottom and Major Raymond B. Bottom, both former owners of the Daily Press Inc., Raymond Jr. was the youngest of three children. He attended primary school at the Indian River Elementary School, and high school at Hampton High. He went on to graduate from Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) with a BS in Physics in 1951, and a BS in Finance from University of Virginia in 1958. During high school summers Raymond worked as a driver's assistant delivering the ' funnies ' (as he used to call Sunday paper comics) to other regional papers, who lacked the ability to print color. His father made sure he learned the newspaper business from the inside out.
His grandfather, William E. Rouse, who originally purchased the family's interest in the paper, made sure he learned about giving back to the community and civic service. Raymond would help him hand out turkeys in downtown Newport News for Thanksgiving.
After college he enlisted as First Lieutenant in the Air Force, where his crew assignment was Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) Officer on B36s, at the time the largest bomber in the world. Ray was primarily stationed at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico. He flew missions all over the world, including one over England, which on a particularly dark and stormy night he vividly recalled as 'harrowing' due to an engine fire. Fortunately, the pilot was able to land the aircraft before the crew had to parachute out at 20K+ feet. At Langley AFB, he served in the reserves for an additional 26 years, retiring as a Colonel with the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Upon leaving active duty, Ray joined the family business, working under Ambert Dale at WGH, a subsidiary of the Daily Press. The company's flagship radio station was WGH 1310 AM, dubbed the 'Rock of Virginia,' it was the area's dominant Top 40 rock and roll music station from the mid-50's through the 70's. Although known for it's colorful DJs, such as Dick Lamb and Gene Loving, and it's inventive promotions, WGH also had a serious side. It was voted the Best Radio News Operation in Virginia for 10 consecutive years.  Always a stickler for details, many a DJ recalls getting a call from 'Mr. Bottom' if they started 'announcing' before a song had finished.
In 1970, Raymond spearheaded the effort to make WGH-FM a full time classical music station. Nationally recognized, WGH-FM played fine arts programming from the over 25K albums which he helped select, until the sale of the station in 1983. The classical music library was then donated to WHRO-FM, where Bottom became a Director.
Based on his interest in electronics in the Air Force, Bottom was instrumental in obtaining the cable tv franchises in Newport News and Danville, VA, creating Hampton Roads Cablevision and Danville Cablevision. He was President of both. These franchises were pioneers in serving the growing needs of their communities, rising in stature to almost the financial equal of their parent corporation by the mid 1980's.
Upon his mother's retirement, Raymond became Chairman of the Board of the Daily Press, Inc.. Due to the awkward 1913 merger between the Daily Press and the Times Herald, the Bottoms and Van Burens suffered from a 'separate but equal ownership structure.' Raymond championed changing the antiquated by-laws, but by then the economics of the newspaper business were changing and the families agreed that selling was the best choice both for them and the community.
Following a life long interest in television, Raymond then formed Centennial Communications for the purpose of purchasing WYAH from Pat Robertson's CBN. Initially an independent station, it became a member of the United Paramount Network and rebranded as WGNT before being sold in 1997 to Viacom.
Mr. Bottom was a dedicated son of Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC), and his Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers. Former President Sam Wilson said that Ray was always waiting "quietly in the shadows to step forward and make sure the impossible was possible for H-SC. 'Uncle Ray' truly believed the most important relationship on any college campus, belonged to the student first…" Through his scholarships, Ray provided over 100 young men with a college education. He was always actively recruiting the next freshman class for H-SC. He served as Trustee from 1973-2006, and Trustee Emeritus till 2017.   He also served on the Sam Wilson Center Board of Advisors for 6 years.
In recognition of his many years of service, Hampden-Sydney College bestowed upon him many awards: Alumni Leadership Team Ambassador, Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the Patrick Henry Award, and member of the both the Peter Johnson, and the Patrick Henry Societies. As a pilot, Bottom owned several antique airplanes, including a WWII open cockpit trainer, known as a PT19, which he restored. His first plane was a 1946 Culver V, which he donated the use of to a museum in Lakeland, Florida. He also owned several more stately aircraft including his favorite, a Beechcraft King Air.
For 47 years Raymond attended the annual EAA AirVenture - Oshkosh Fly-In. In his later years flying to Oshkosh was often the highlight of his year. For over 30 years, he was Editor of the Antique Airways Newsletter, pouring over each word until the wee hours behind his vintage IBM Selectric typewriter. The newsletter is part of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 3, which Ray had also served as President.
Raymond served on the Boards of many local organizations devoted to preserving the history, culture, and environment of Hampton Roads, some of which include Virginia Air and Space Museum, Vice President and Director; USO of Hampton Roads, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Rouse Bottom Foundation, President; Virginia Association of Broadcasters; Hampton Coliseum Advisory Committee, Chairman; and Peninsula Rotary Club.
He is predeceased by his sisters Barbara A. Forst in 1998 and Dorothy Rouse-Bottom in 2011. He is survived by a son J. Scott Benton of Suffolk, VA, his wife Jane, and their daughter Avery Jayne; nephew Jesse Forst of New York, NY, his wife, Claudia, and their sons, Vincent and Nicholas; nephew Matthew Forst of Glen Gardiner, NJ; nephew Mark Whitney Gilkey of San Francisco, CA, his wife, Laura, and their daughter, Sofia;, niece, Fernande Sommers of Arcata, CA, and her son, Shanti Sommers of Seattle, WA; niece Maura Duffy of Italy and her son Antonio Bergamini of Miami, FL; cousins, Davis and Earl 'Skip' Bottom of Richmond, VA; Linwood Bottom of Powhatan, VA; Marge Raney and Pat Delany of Charlottesville, VA; other cousins include Martha Bradshaw of Williamsburg, VA, and Perry Dulong of Hampton, VA. Burial will be a private family service. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.