On May 24, in conjunction with Memorial Day weekend, we humbly honored our friend, mentor and former Area Coach (AC) the late, great Ed Ray with a small ceremony at Desert De Oro Foods’ (DDO’s) new Taco Bell at McDowell and Hayden Roads in Scottsdale, AZ. Though he did not live to see its opening, Ed left a lasting impression on its core team, all of whom transferred from our recently closed Store 31, which is within steps of the new location.
As a tribute to our much-missed friend, we dedicated a tree on the new property in Ed’s honor. The ceremony was led by Vice President of Operations Fred Bendel before a mix of Ed’s relatives — including wife Karen — and members of the DDO family. We shared a few fond Ed stories, a moment of silence, and then unveiled a special plaque installed at the base of his tree.
“Ed will be most missed for the impact he had on those around him. He was a mentor to many and the best example of our culture of taking care of others.” -Fred Bendel, VP of Operations
The ceremony concluded inside with Taco Bell eats and Ed’s favorite homemade brownies by our Regional Director of East Phoenix Pizza Huts, Celeste Bendel.
The Tale of the Tree
Ed joined DDO in September 2001. His first Taco Bell location was the iconic, now shuttered, Store 31.
“Ed got close with that team not just from time working in the store, but he had that store in his area for years as well,” shares Fred. “The core team there has a lot of tenure, so many working there worked with Ed way back then.”
As the story goes, one of our longtime team members, Aldo Bustamante, planted a tree at Store 31 decades ago. Ed always talked about wanting to move the 20-year-old tree over to the new store, once built. When that didn’t prove feasible, the team asked to plant a tree at the new location in his honor instead. That was an easier task!
“Ed left a legacy of people that he developed at all levels.” -Fred Bendel, VP of Operations
Today, Ed’s beautiful tree sits out front for all to see, a reminder of someone who meant a lot to the DDO family.
More on Ed’s Story
Ed had been with our company 22 years when he retired in March 2023. He’d been a Taco Bell AC since 2005, most recently overseeing our East Valley (of Phoenix) territory. According to Fred, he’d battled cancer several times throughout the last decade and somehow managed to juggle his dedication to being in the field with running back and forth to Mayo for treatments. “Never seen anything like it,” Fred says.
Ed was a well respected leader to all with whom he interacted, according to fellow AC Heather Tener. She adds that he was incredibly loyal and loved his job.
“Ed was extremely hands on … he had the best work ethic I’ve ever seen,” Fred says. “He rarely took full days off and he knew almost everyone on his team.”
Ed is missed around here on so many levels. But today we celebrate how we’re bringing Ed’s memory along with us into the future. Thank you to the team of individuals who orchestrated the tree dedication in Scottsdale!