Jody Lien said her dad, Ray Ramsey, a 47-year resident of Mercer Island, “was a pretty big deal,” when he was on the air.

Ramsey was the longtime weatherman on KOMO TV from 1965 to 1985, delivering the weather with humor, character and quick wit — without the use of a teleprompter or cue cards. At the time of his death on May 22, her father had been out of the public eye for 26 years, but Lien said obviously he has not been forgotten based on the “mind-boggling” posts on the Seattle Times and KOMO Web sites after his death was announced.

But he did not miss the spotlight, his daughter said.

Although KOMO approached him to do specials after his retirement, Lien said he declined.

“He was happy to turn it over to the new generation,” she said.

The Ramsey family, Ray and wife Betty Jo, moved to Mercer Island in 1964 from Spokane. Lien was 5 years old, and her brother Scott was 8. Her mother still lives in the same house that they moved into then.

Lien said she loved growing up here with her famous father.

“I loved it — it was a lot of fun. My brother wasn’t always comfortable with all the attention,” she said. “Ray was recognized anywhere and everywhere, and was always gracious.”

She said when she brought her report card home, she had him sign it because the teachers got such a kick out of it — like they were getting his autograph.

Meantime, Betty Jo was a traditional housewife and homemaker, involved in all of her children’s school functions.

Ray worked for both KOMO radio and television, so he’d work Monday through Friday, but at odd hours. Lien said he had a late day radio show, followed by the prime-time weather broadcast.

“He’d come home around 7 p.m. for dinner, then go back around 9 p.m. for a radio broadcast, then the late weather,” she said.

He also taught language arts at two different junior high schools in Bellevue for a while. Lien said his students expected the same guy they saw on the air, but he was much tougher as a teacher. She said she would watch him grade papers at home, and was glad she wasn’t one of his students.

Ramsey had a fast delivery, Lien said of her dad, and he loved to make up words such as “drizmal,” or when there were snow flurries he called them “snow snifters.”

Lien acknowledged there are many sports and business celebrities on the Island now, but her dad was probably one of the first well-known celebrities on the Island. He delivered the weather with wit and whimsey, and people liked him.

“He was recognized everywhere,” Lien said.

Ramsey is survived by his wife, Betty Jo; Lien and her husband, Todd Lien, of Bellevue; and son Scott and his wife, Connie, of Issaquah.