Raymond Donald Weber

Brigadier General Ray Weber, 90, spent the majority of his adult life in North Canton, OH before moving to South Carolina late in retirement. On February 20, 2025, Ray flew into the sunset surrounded by loving family.

Ray was born May 3, 1934 in Holmes County, OH, one of ten children, the son of Joseph Weber and Iva (Balder) Wilson. He graduated from Canal Fulton High School and went on to enjoy a distinguished career in military and civilian aviation. Ray married Judith “Judy” Denkhaus on May 7, 1960 in Canton, OH and was blessed with 65 years of marriage. Ray is survived by Judy, their two children, four grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and three of his sisters.

In 1956, Ray enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard’s 145th Aero Medical Squadron at Akron-Canton prior to earning a commission and Navigator Wings from the Aviation Cadet Program at Harlingen Air Force Base, TX. He subsequently attended USAF Pilot Training at Moody AFB in 1962 to earn his Pilot Wings. Ray continued his loyal service to the Ohio ANG as a pilot at the 160th Refueling Group (Wilmington) and 179th Tactical Fighter Group (Mansfield), followed by promotions to Director of Operations and Commander at the 164th Airlift Squadron (Mansfield), and Director of Operations at the Ohio ANG Headquarters (Worthington). His career culminated as Chief of Staff at the Ohio ANG Headquarters where he retired in January 1990 as a federally recognized Brigadier General with 33+ years of service. Across Ray’s aviation career, he accumulated over 20,000 flight hours piloting eleven different models of aircraft.

As a career citizen-soldier, Ray was also employed at GenCorp, Inc. from 1964-2000, ultimately serving as the Chief Pilot and Director of Flight Operations with a fleet of aircraft operating from Sacramento International Airport, CA and Akron-Canton Regional Airport, OH.

In addition to his love of flying, Ray was a skilled craftsman and enjoyed spending his recreational time boating, woodworking and restoring legacy military aircraft. Ray was a proud volunteer at the MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, OH where both an F-84 and the C-130 “Spirit of Mansfield” are dedicated to him in honor of his service to our country and MAPS. Ray was a long-term member of the North Canton YMCA, Faith United Methodist Church, and the Quiet Birdmen. Throughout his life, Ray exhibited an exceptional work ethic, eye for detail, and commitment to excellence while always maintaining a positive attitude and extraordinary resilience.

Visitation will be held at Karlo-Libby Funeral Home on February 27th from 5-8 pm. A private graveside service will be held at a later date with military honors.

To honor Ray’s legacy, the family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be extended to MAPS Air Museum of North Canton, OH, mapsairmuseum.org.