On behalf of the family and friends of Raymond G. Johnson it is with great sadness we announce his passing on April 16, 2005, at the age of 87.

A memorial service honoring the life of Raymond George Johnson will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor. Cmdr. Fred Renfroe, CHC, USN (Ret) will officiate. Full military honors will follow under the auspices of the NAS Whidbey Island Honor Guard.

Ray was born July 5, 1917, in Chicago, Ill. He was one of three sons born to Walter and Mabel Johnson. As a young man in Chicago, he proudly enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving honorably for 22 years, including both World War II and the Korean conflict.

Raymond married the love of his life Arline in 1941. They were the proud parents of four lucky children. In 1953, upon returning from Korea, Ray moved his family to Oak Harbor, announcing he was being transferred to “God’s country” and thus began his long love affair with the Pacific Northwest. After finishing his last tour of duty and retiring in 1961 at NAS Whidbey, he joined North Island Realty and enjoyed a second career as a realtor and broker for another 23 years.

Interests and organizations included his active membership in the Masonic Lodge and the Shrine, where he was founding member of the Shrine Truckers Precision Drill Team. He served on the Board of Adjustment for 14 years for the city of Oak Harbor and was a long time member of the Soap Lake Businessmen’s Club.

Ray was a 42-year member of the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 97 and the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge No. 2362, both of Oak Harbor. In addition, he was past president of the Island County Realtors Association.

Ray loved boating, fishing, hunting with his German short-hair dogs and summers with his grandchildren at the family cabin at Soap Lake. Family was his life and gatherings with Ray meant gales of laughter, childhood stories, games of Farkle and Spite and Malice, and always just one more sliver of pie.

Ray was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Arline in 1988. He is survived by his four children, Raymond Johnson, Jr. (Bobbie) of Oak Harbor, Penny Sanders (Edward) of Danville, Calif., Karen Johnson (Henry Cody) of Seattle and Kristine Rust (Bill) of Auburn, and his younger brother Clarence Johnson (Shirley) of Chicago, Ill.

In addition to his children, he is survived by his grandchildren, Lori Johnson (Kristopher), Brad Johnson, Eric Johnson (Shawna), John Blankenship (Devani), Christopher Pike, Jordan Sanders and great-grandchildren, Derek and Emily Johnson, Cidney, Taylor and Brend’n Blankenship.

Dad, we know you’d say “I’m just resting my eyes” but we like to think you’ve joined Mom and those dear friends from ‘750th Ave. East’ — Bea, Bill, Mick, Eleanor, Bernie and Marilyn — for one more famous block party.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, C/0 Nile Temple, 6601-244th Street S.W., Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-2750.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.