Zakovich, Ray T.

Ray T. Zakovich

1952 Graduate

Born in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Ray T. Zakovich graduated from Ambridge High School in 1952. Following high school he served in the Intelligence Division of the Air Force Security Service during the Korean War and was classified with Top Security Clearance. Mr. Zakovich has a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice. He was appointed a US Marshal and began his lifelong career in protection. In 1962 he transferred to the United States Secret Service as a Special Agent from which he retired after 25 years of total government service. Mr. Zakovich served under five presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan. In addition, he protected former Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman.

Ray has an executive protection company in the Greater Kansas City area, Ray Zakovich and Associates. His associates include his wife, Mary, son George Zakovich, Chris Balatsoukas, Ambridge, PA, former FBI and United States Secret Service Agents and off-duty police officers.

Ray was awarded six (6) Meritorious Achievement Awards while working undercover cases with the United States Secret Service. During this time he was assigned to the organized crime division as a Supervisory Special Agent. He worked in an undercover capacity in the cities of New York City and Reno, Nevada where he solved the largest gold mine theft for Newmont Mining Corp.  In Youngstown, Ohio he performed the first legal wire tap under the direction of then, US Attorney Richard Thornburg of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who later became the governor and subsequently appointed Unites States Attorney General.

Ray has had the pleasure of performing in five movies filmed in the Kansas City area and worked with movie stars, Gary Sinise, John Travolta, Kevin Costner and Peter Boyle.