Raymond Edward Kelly

Raymond Kelly was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1934. His ancestry traces back to the Mayflower. He was the younger of two boys. His family settled in Alexandria, Virginia. Ray married in his early twenties and had four children: two girls and two boys. Ray is preceded in death by his father, mother, brother and youngest son. He is survived by two daughters, a son and five grandchildren.

While working full time to support his young family, he attended college in the evenings and eventually received a Bachelor and then Master’s degree. After receiving his Master’s degree he moved to San Diego in the late 1960’s to work for the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) and lived the rest of his days in San Diego County. He built a house and lived on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego where he raised his two sons. He had the pleasure for many years to have the sound and view of the ocean from his home. He truly enjoyed the beauty in life.

He worked for the Naval Ocean Systems Center in Point Loma for 30 years as an electronic engineer before retiring in 1991. During his career he created technology that is still in use, and traveled internationally for his job. On one business trip he had opportunity to take a few days and enjoy the Fiji islands; which he said was the most relaxing days of his life. He had strong religious beliefs and values, though he was not associated with a particular church.

Ray enjoyed the comic “Chuckles”. He told jokes “a lot”; enjoyed cards, ballroom dancing, and in recent years had even taken a couple of cruises. He was a very intelligent man with a sense of humor and a sense of value that we will all miss. He was fortunate to find companionship in his latter years, which we will be forever thankful for.

Remembrances of our dad:

 He LOVED to play cards, from the time he was a child to the elder years when he would play poker games at the casino. He was a “diamond” club member.

 Family vacations to Yosemite and Hawaii, scenic drives along the Pacific Coast Highway, staying In Cambria, seeing the elephant seals.

 He loved nature: the coastlines, redwood forest, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Aquariums in California and Oregon.

 All of the times he would take his grown families and his grandchildren to the zoo, SeaWorld, or wherever – he was about being sure that those who were visiting had a good time; and would not dare to let us help him with what he considered to be the “trivial” maintenance aspects of life such as a spotless house.

 Although he was a bachelor for over 45 years - he never learned to cook or do much laundry; hence his son and grandsons inherit quite a beautiful collection of classy work shirts and trousers. He had a great sense of style!

 Eccentric: a HUGE house – but not much furniture! Buying sheets rather than washing…. Keeping Costco in business to sell paper plates and plastic silverware… Always a new purchase of towels for those visiting rather than re-use (we’ve never been sure why)… The many phone calls that would be received whenever any one of us was our Father’s “project” for whatever reason (all out of love). My sister says I’m “roasting” my dad rather than burying him – however we loved our dad dearly and these are all reasons why!

 On a gentler note he passes on the following values:

o That family is foremost important to be treasured.

o That a man should be a gentlemen to a woman.

o That children respect their parents.

o That the 10 commandments are to be lived by, especially the honoring of parents and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

 Ray celebrated his 80th birthday followed the next day by pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) traveling to his lungs. His suffering was minutes and there was no question of the outcome – for that clarity we are thankful.

We as his children will be forever grateful for the sacrifices he made to raise us, and for the values he instilled in us. Though we are grieving now, we are happy for him that he is at peace with our Lord, and will not suffer before death deterioration physically or mentally; and that any longing that he had that was unfulfilled on this earth is no longer his concern and he is with our Heavenly Father.