Ray A. Kodish

Category
2001
About This Inductee

Ray “Boley” Kodish was captain and leading scorer on Kingston High School’s Wyoming Valley championship basketball team and honorable mention All-State. He played football and was on the Eastern Conference Champion team and All-Scholastic in 1941. He attended Villanova University on a basketball scholarship, earning a varsity letter as freshman. Ray was then drafted into the U.S. Army serving 3 years in Europe. Upon honorable discharge he attended Mansfield State Teachers College. Playing basketball, he was third leading scorer in the State and held the school’s record for most points scored in one game (38) for 25 years. He played on Mansfield University’s undefeated football team and conference championship team in 1946 and on the 1947 conference championship team. For 10 years, Ray played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League with the Williamsport Billies. He was among the leading scorers each year and made second-team All-League for 5 years. He later became owner of the Billies. Ray taught at Lock Haven High School and coached basketball for 21 years. He had the most wins of any Lock Haven coach (199) winning four league championships. In 1981 he received the “Gibson Award” from Mansfield University for his contributions to athletes. He was inducted into the Mansfield University Sports Hall of Fame and in 2000 was named to Mansfield’s All-Century basketball team. Currently residing in Lock Haven, Ray and his wife Jean have four children: Ray, Ron, Rich and Rita: and eleven grandchildren.