William A. Ray; Pioneer of Combustion Controls

William A. Ray, 86, an inveterate inventor who held more than 350 patents, among them the thermocouple devices that made possible thermostatic control systems. He founded General Controls Co. of Glendale in 1930, three years after graduating from Stanford University with a degree in engineering. He pioneered the development of safe designs for combustion controls and provided control systems for residential, industrial and aerospace firms. Ray retired in 1971, eight years after his company was purchased by International Telephone & Telegraph. At that time the firm had 2,000 employees. He was a widower and is survived by four sons--William Jr., Robert, Thomas and Donald--two brothers, a sister and four grandchildren. In Pasadena on Oct. 19.