Raymond J. Tarleton was the right person, at the right time, with the right skills to guide AACC International (AACCI) and The American Phytopathological Society (APS) through a period of amazing advancements. What started with happenstance, culminated in a long and storied career. When volunteer officers of the two small scientific organizations realized they needed a minimal workforce to accomplish the work of their organizations, they found a graduate student who was completing studies in both science and journalism. Over the next 40 years Ray demonstrated organizational and leadership skills that made the partnership between AACCI and APS a success and provided their members with a vast array of services. Raymond J. Tarleton passed away in late October 2017, after 26 years of retirement from AACCI and APS. Ray’s career was devoted to these organizations, and while much of their history has been well documented, most are unaware of Ray’s tremendous influence on their success.