Ray Wulfenstein, 79, member of Pahrump founding family, dies in plane crash
Ray Wulfenstein, the patriarch of one of Pahrump’s founding and most recognizable families, was killed in a single-engine plane crash in southern Oregon on Friday. (Special to the Pahrump Valley Times)
PAHRUMP — Ray Wulfenstein, patriarch of one of Pahrump’s founding and most recognizable families, was killed in a small plane crash in southern Oregon on Friday.
Wulfenstein, 79, was flying the single-engine Cessna when it crashed around 1 p.m. on a beach in Curry County, according to news reports.
Wulfenstein moved to Pahrump in 1972 and started a small motel business. That later grew into a recreational vehicle park, car wash, Wulfy’s sports bar, land development and a construction company that bears the family name.
His wife, Irene, died in 2014 and Wulfenstein spent most of his time in the Pacific Northwest after that, his family told the Pahrump Valley Times. They are survived by four children and 15 grandchildren.
