Raymond Lee passed away peacefully with his wife by his side following a brief battle with cancer. He died on February 15, 2021, one day after their 34th wedding anniversary.
Ray was born in Ceres and spent his early years in Ceres and Valley Home. Ray attended high school in Oakdale and graduated in Carson City, Nevada. He proudly served in the Air Force and was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base. Ray could tell you more than you wanted to know about any aircraft flying overhead or on display at a museum. After being honorably discharged from the Air Force, Ray moved to Stockton and worked for many years as a meat cutter at Victor Meat Company. Shortly after being introduced to his future wife Susan by mutual friends, Ray moved to Modesto. He earned an AA degree at Modesto Junior College in electronics and worked doing installations and maintenance. With a desire to stay closer to home and pursue a more fulfilling occupation, Ray went to Merced Junior College and earned a respiratory therapist degree. He worked at hospitals in Stockton and Modesto, before happily settling in at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock. By this time, Ray and Sue had their two daughters and he was so excited to be able to spend more time with his family.
Ray was a man of many interests and hobbies. He enjoyed both wood working and gardening. Ray was proud of his pepper crop last fall. He also enjoyed reading about history and watching political cable news shows, British mysteries, and low budget sci-fi movies. Ray played acoustic guitar in his younger years but switched to electric guitars after retiring. He enjoyed photography and astronomy and would stay up late to combine these two by taking pictures of the night sky. Ray would go camping in the Eastern Sierras once or twice a year to enjoy the unobstructed views of the stars and galaxies.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents Eva Blankenship and Murvel Lee, aunt and uncle Mary and Matt Reeves, brother Robert Lee, sister Judy Stout, and brothers-in-law Allen Stout, John Lewis, and Steve Luth. He is survived by wife Susan Lee, daughters Stephanie and Kristin Lee, sister Betty Lewis, and nephews Jeff (Bryn) and Greg Lewis.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, a memorial service will be held on a later date. Ray will be buried at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery. Donations can be made to Light of Christ Lutheran Church Memorial Fund at 4510 Crowell Road, Turlock, CA 95382 or the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.
We are greatly grieving Ray’s sudden passing but find comfort in the knowledge we will all be together again.
