Lyle Wray, the longtime Greater Hartford advocate who led the Capitol Region Council of Governments for nearly two decades, has died.
He was 73.
Wray died on Jan. 5 at UConn Hospital in West Hartford after a long battle with cancer, according to his obituary.
Wray was a well-known advocate for regional cooperation. For 18 years, he led the Capitol Region Council of Governments, a voluntary council of governments that forms and initiates regional programs to the benefit of its member communities. CRCOG encompasses 38 metro Hartford municipalities.
He advocated over years on many issues, from property tax reform to better regional transportation investment and planning. In 2019, he led the publication of a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy that set aggressive growth goals for the region to accomplish over a five-year period.
He stepped down from his executive director role at CRCOG in 2021.
“We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Lyle Wray, our Executive Director emeritus,” said Matt Hart, who took over as executive director of CRCOG in 2021. “Lyle was a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. He was well-respected across our region, our state, and nationally. He was a true thought leader and accomplished much during his tenure at CRCOG. We will miss him deeply – his keen intellect, his wit, and his perspective on all things related to local and regional government. Our condolences to his family and friends; we will certainly do our part at CRCOG to honor his legacy.”
Wray was also an active member of the Regional Plan Association, which issued a statement following his death.
“With his keen wit, friendly charm and brilliant intellect, Lyle was equal parts regional planner, political philosopher, and humanist,” said Tom Wright, the association’s president and CEO. “Lyle always kept his focus clearly on promoting the public good and thinking creatively about ways to deliver better policy to improve people’s lives.”
According to his obituary, Wray was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, and moved to the U.S. in the 1970s. He is survived by his spouse, Lloyd Johnson.
A memorial service will be held on Jan. 20, at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Visitation begins at 2 p.m. and the service begins at 3 p.m., according to his obituary.
