Raymond E. “Ray” Mack, who was employed for 30 years at AP Parts in a variety of positions, and was part of one of Toledo labor history’s longest strikes, died Friday at Genesis Sylvania Center.

He was 86 and suffered from dementia, his son Dan said.

During the nine-month AP strike that began May 2, 1984, Mr. Mack seemed to always be at the picket line, his son recalled.

“They stood up for their rights. He was a good union member,” his son said.

A protest at the plant early in the strike resulted in Toledo police firing tear gas at demonstrators and arresting 41 — only three of whom were believed to be union workers at AP Parts.

A settlement was reached in February, 1985, that gave workers a raise, a productivity bonus, and amnesty for strike activities. Workers were determined to show that they were serious about making the plant productive again. It had more than 200 employees at the time of the strike.

Mr. Mack, who lived most of his life in North Toledo, started working at AP Parts shortly after returning from his four-year stint as a Marine during the Korean War.

He was stationed in Rio de Janeiro throughout the war, spending much of his time drilling in anticipation of an invasion that never happened for him. “He was the next wave to go, but he never got called over,” his son said.

While in basic training in South Carolina, Mr. Mack hitchhiked back to Toledo on weekends to see his girlfriend, Donna Grimm. “He would only be in Toledo for a couple of hours,” his son said.

She became Mrs. Mack on Jan. 8, 1955, a union that lasted 53 years until her death in 2008.

Mr. Mack and his family were long-time parishioners at St. Catherine of Siena.

“He was always strict about going to church on Sunday,” his son said.

Routines drove Mr. Mack’s life, with golf most Saturdays, and bowling Friday nights. He added slot machines to his entertainment routine in the late 1980s, after a trip with his son to Las Vegas.

He was born Feb. 12, 1931, to Raymond C. and Florence Mack in Toledo and was raised by his mother and Joseph Staab after his father’s death.

He attended Central Catholic High School.

In retirement he worked part-time at Gladieux Catering.

Mr. Mack’s younger sister, Dolores Mazuchowski, said he never allowed a woman to buy a meal. “My brother was a gentleman,” she said.

Surviving are his sons, Dan and Edward; daughter, Julie Meister; brother, Joseph Staab; sisters, Dolores Mazuchowski and Peaches Young; six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Newcomer Funeral Home, 4150 W. Laskey Rd. Services are at 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Catherine of Siena Church.

Contact Zack Lemon at: zlemon@theblade.com, 419-724-6282, or on Twitter @zack_lemon.

First Published May 1, 2017, 4:00 a.m.