Lane Allan Bray

Lane A. Bray, of Richland passed away ___September 9^th 2015______, in Richland, WA in peace and dearly loved by his wife Gwen and children.  Lane was born in Highland Park, Illinois on September 21, 1928 to George Allan and Faith Louise (Haefele) Bray.    He spent his childhood with his parents, twin sister Elaine Bray (Markland) and sister Gale Bray (Johnson), 45 miles north of Chicago.  Lane’s dad and many generations of Brays were connected in some way to leather or shoe manufacturing (Lane’s dad worked for Florsheim Shoe Co. in Chicago).   Lane wanted to be a chemist and spent two summers in Racine or Milwaukee learning about the chemistry of tanning while attending Lake Forest College where he graduated with a BA in Chemistry.

In 1950, his professor Dr. North gave him an application for a job as a chemist at Hanford for General Electric.  His Mother wanted him to stay near home and be a leather chemist.  His Dad told him to go west, but he had never been more than 40 miles from home.  After the FBI investigated around his home town and finger prints were taken, Lane received the “blue stationery” letter from GE for $68 per week to work at Hanford in the “evergreen state” of WA.   Lane took the “Empire Builder” train for three days and two nights to Pasco, WA.  He could not get over the passing scenery as he crossed the country, especially in the Rockies.   He was picked up at night in Pasco by AEC and taken to the old Hanford house.  The next morning he could not believe that the town was treeless as he walked over to the 703 Bldg.

On arrival, Lane lived in a men’s dorm M-3 on the corner of Jadwin and Swift where many of his co-workers lived for $20/mo.  He rode the Hanford bus for 5¢ to the 200 West area to work at 234-5 (Plutonium Finishing Plant).  Lane was in this building for 4-years with an exemption from the draft.  When he moved to the 222-S analytical laboratory, the Army drafted him for 2-years serving in New Cumberland, PA.

On returning to 222-S, Lane married his laboratorian Darlene’s daughter (Gwen Moore) and because GE had a family policy moved him to the 325 Bldg, 300 Area for a 1-year trial period working under the direction of Dr. Robert Lee Moore on Strontium-90 removal from Hanford High-Level wastes, for commercial use.  Dr. Moore’s group specialized in determining the use and methods to separate numerous fission products that could be used for the good of mankind, such as in heart pacers and heat sources for space and weather stations.  Lane continued his chemistry separation research from 1959 to 2003 in the same building.

In 1990, Lane and Dr. Earl Wheelwright were asked by DOE to separate and isolate highly purified Yttrium-90 for possible shipment to the medical community for cancer research.  Lane worked on the separation chemistry and during the next 10-years produced Y-90 that was shipped around the world.   Lane patented the USDOE/PNNL process for purifying medical grade Yttrium-90 that was successfully commercialized in 1999.  Lane continued to work for Dr. Tom Tenforde to separate and isolate potential medical isotopes such as Thorium-229, Radium-225, Actinium-225, Bismuth-213, and Gadolium-153. 

After retiring from Battelle, Lane developed and patented a unique separation process for the purification of Cesium-131 that was then assigned to IsoRay.  He and several co-workers became founders in IsoRay Medical Inc, began producing radioactive Cs-131 “seeds” to be implanted in the prostate gland and continued working part-time as Chief Chemist on R&D. 

One thing that Lane was very proud of was the time in public service.  He served 19-years on the Richland City Council from 1969-1990, 4-years as the Mayor.  He then spent 4-years as the Washington State Representative from the 8^th legislative district.   Although Lane served for 25 years as a politician, his greatest love was still R&D and separations chemistry.

Lane has authored or co-authored over 110 research publications, 12 articles for 9 technical books, and holds 27 U.S. and foreign patents.  Lane was a technical expert in separations, recovery, and purification of isotopes in the use of cesium and strontium ion exchange for the Department of Energy's West Valley and Hanford nuclear waste cleanup efforts.  Lane received the 2013 Glenn T. Seaborg Actinide Separations Award at the 37^th Actinide Separations conference in Spokane, WA.  In 2000, Lane received the Radiation Science and Technology award from the American Nuclear Society, and was nominated for 'Engineer of the Year' by the American Nuclear Society in 1995. He was elected 'Chemist of the Year for 1997' by the American Chemical Society, Eastern Washington Section.  Lane was elected 'Tri-Citian of the Year' in 1988 for his work with local governments.

Lane and Gwen enjoyed their “log cabin” in Peshastin, WA which they built in 1999.  They were involved with Ingalls Creek Enrichment Center (ICE), a Christian retreat center, just below their cabin and had many wonderful days of enjoyment.  Lane was an Elder at West Side church in Richland and in his senior years enjoyed his work with the “Tool Time” men’s group that met each week to improve the church property.

Lane is survived by his wife Gwen Moore Bray married 57 years; daughters Josian (Craig) Elia of Walla Walla, Judith (David) Klein of Kennewick, Nancy (Tim) Oten of Prosser, and son Eric Bray of Tacoma, WA; grandchildren Jacob Klein (Lili) of Seattle, Nick Klein and (Kim) of Washington, DC, Rachel Elia Keddison (Tobin) of Richland, and Anthony Elia of Walla Walla, and great grandson Charlie Klein of Seattle.  Lane’s twin sister Elaine died on October 11, 2009 in Huntsville, AL and is survived by her daughters Julie (Troy, Matthew, Emily) Roeck of Huntsville, Al and Hollie Harder of Jamaica Plains, MA.    Lane’s sister Gale died in Pennsylvania in 1998. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ICE or West Side Church Memorials.  Celebration of Life Service will be held at West Side Church, Richland, WA Saturday September 12^th 2015 at 11am.   Light lunch following the service.