Biography
Raymond Culos: Italian-Canadian of 2005
On behalf of the Confratellanza I take great pleasure in announcing that Raymond Culos is the Italian-Canadian of the Year for 2005.
Ray is a rare breed of Canadian-Italian. As a third-generation member of the Confratellanza via the Sons of Italy Society, he represents a direct link with the pioneers who established Vancouver’s first incorporated Italian society 100-years ago.
Ray is well known and very active in the Vancouver Italian community. He holds membership in the Confratellanza Italo-Canadese, the Italian Cultural Centre Society, the Famee Furlane of Vancouver and Civitanovese organizations. He also is a member of the Association of Italian-Canadian Writers to which he delivered a conference paper at the University of Udine in 2004 entitled, I Friulani Della Societa’ Figli d’Italia.
And there’s quite a history behind Ray’s involvement in these Italian organizations. It all began when he was approaching his ninth birthday. Along with his brother Victor, Ray was inducted as a juvenile member of the Societa’ Figli d’Italia on March 4, 1945. In those early years, his pride of association with the Italian community was attached solely to the activities and reputation of his parents. Marino and Felicetta (Phyllis) Culos, then and throughout most of their adult lives, were leading figures within the local Italian societal community.
A memorable trip to Italy with his family in 1976 permanently changed Ray’s perception of things Italian. It was this experience of having connected with his Italian heritage that provided the impetus to seek an active role in the affairs of Vancouver’s society of Italians.
During the past 25-years, Ray has served the Confratellanza in various capacities. He was elected several times to the office of vice president and was responsible for editing the society’s newsletter in the mid 1980s. In addition, he took turns at being constitution and scholarship committee chairman. Last year Ray did a bang-up job of being the MC at the 100th anniversary banquet and was a major contributor to the success of the 3-day IL PASSAGGIO exhibit.
Also a staunch supporter of the Italian Cultural Centre, Ray, a former board member, is Chair of the ICCS’s Museum and Archives Centre Committee. In 1978 he began his association with the Italian Centre as Chair of the Italian Consulate sponsored and ICCS coordinated Venice Lives Committee. The promotion was created to draw attention to the concern of losing an irreplaceable cultural treasure and legacy from flooding and the virtual sinking of the Venetian islands.
Over an extended period of time Ray has served his community as an appointed member of various boards and committees. His volunteer service included appointments to the Burnaby Hospital Board, Burnaby Library Board, Burnaby Information Committee and the British Columbia Library Development Commission.
The Canadian Library Trustees' Association presented Ray with the national Library Trustee Award for 1974. And in 1977 he was awarded an honorary life membership in the BC Library Trustees' Association, a group to which he was a founding member and first president.
The American Newspaper Circulation Managers' Association conferred upon Ray the distinction of being the only Canadian to receive its travel scholarship. As the 1991 recipient, Ray travelled to Italy where he researched and reported on circulation-marketing strategies and trends in Udine, Milan and Rome.
Ray’s introduction as one of the community’s leading social reviewers began in 1978. With the assistance of his father he wrote several weekly columns for L’Eco d’Italia entitled, Commento di Culos. The theme of his articles projected a complimentary and nostalgic review of the activities and accomplishments of Vancouver’s pioneer Italians.
In 1998, Ray’s book, Vancouver's Society of Italians (1904 - 1966¬) was published and marketed by Harbour Publishing. Volume II (1967 – 2002), which featured hundreds of photos, was released in April 2002. The publications are an excellent read and represent well-documented stories of Vancouver's pioneer and contemporary Italians and their institutions. In 2003, our awardee became a regular contributor to ACCENTi, The Canadian Magazine with an Italian Accent.
His books gained wide-spread local acclaim and have since been recognized as primary sources of information in reference to the life and times of various members of Vancouver’s Italian establishment. In 2000, the Italian Cultural Centre Society presented him with an honourary award in “recognition for the unique contribution he has made, as an historian, to the preservation of the history of our community.”
Ray, who was born in Vancouver in 1936, enjoyed a 37-year career at The Vancouver Sun, The Province and Southam Newspaper Group. Many of his professional achievements in the newspaper field were accomplished as a member of the management team in Advertising, Circulation, Marketing, Promotion and Training departments. He and his wife Judy, a consistent supporter of Ray’s activities, are blessed with a joyful marriage that is in its 50th year.
We salute Raymond Culos for his contribution to the Italian community and congratulate him most heartedly on this crowning achievement, that of being accorded the prestigious title of Italian-Canadian for 2005!
John Teti, Chairman
CIC Selection Committee