Ray Atkinson was born in Saint Louis, Missouri on July 3, 1962. In 1966 his family moved to Long Island, New York for one year before finally settling in the quaint town of Trenton, Ohio in 1967. While growing up Ray was active in sports including football and baseball, and he spent nearly fifteen years as a diligent student of the martial arts.

Photos by Kathryn Sommers

Ray is also a musician and he spent nearly two decades playing in rock bands on the local nightclub circuit in southern Ohio. However, Ray now enjoys a more quite lifestyle and prefers to spend his free time camping, reading, writing, traveling, and attending outdoor festivals. Ray currently resides in northern Kentucky.  Contact Ray at:  rar8556@aol.com

Ray attended college at Miami University of Ohio, Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, an MBA, and a law degree.