Vernon L. Raymer

Vernon passed away in his Golden home on August 1, 2012. He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years Beverly, his daughter Karen and her husband Tom Toops of Littleton, and his son Brian of Aurora. His grandchildren; Tami and her husband Jason Moore of Albuquerque NM, and Todd Toops and his wife Jenn of Knoxville TN. His great-grandchildren; Emma and Jacob Moore and Camellia and Rosie Toops. Vern is also survived by many family and friends through-out Colorado and beyond.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 7, at 2:00 PM at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6601 S. Colorado Blvd., Littleton, CO. Visitation will start at 12:30 PM with burial following the services. Donations may be made to Alzheimer Assn. of CO, St. Johns Hospice of Denver or D.R.A.W.

Although born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Vern was a lifelong Colorado resident. He grew up in Brush, CO along with his cousins before moving to Denver around the age of ten. Vern attended Manual High School. His early jobs included delivering newspapers, packer, cab driver and eventually settling on the construction trade of lathing. In the mid 60's, the opportunity came to form a business partnership involved with a new type of commercial wall installation and from that began Dry Wall Steel Erectors, Inc. In 1969, Vern and partner Jim Raneri co-founded Delta Drywall Inc., a successful commercial contracting company to this day. Vern retired as president of the company in 1994. Vern served as the 1981/82 president of the Associated Wall & Ceiling Industries - International, during which time Vern was invited to attend a meeting with President Reagan.

Vern married his beloved on Sept. 8, 1946. They loved all their travels to foreign destinations during Verns AWCI involvement. In 1996, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with the formal party they never had and a honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls. For Vern and Bevs 60th anniversary, they returned to the place where Vern had proposed to Bev, at the Humphreys soda fountain in Grand Lake, CO. accompanied by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It was a very proud moment for Vern.

Vern had a great passion for cars, the faster the better. In the late 40's a few of Vern's pals would meet up at Chuck Kirgans gas station in east Denver and talk cars. Hot rodding was evolving and in 1949 the Denver Timing Association was established from those origins. The DTA was instrumental in organizing sanctioned time trials and drag races in the Colorado region. In the 1950's, Vern served on the Denver Drag Board with fellow club members from other car clubs to advance the safety and responsibility of sanctioned drag racing. The DTA was dormant for several years until the mid 1990's when it was reactivated and gained new membership. Vern served many terms as president of the DTA and was immensly proud of the club members from the early days to recent who have remain friends and become new friends.

From Verns early roots in the DTA came the desire to drag race. His 1949 Olds Rocket was his first vehicle to hit the track, but being the family car it was eventually replaced with a true Chrysler hemi-powered slingshot dragster in 1959. When not racing, Vern and Bev would often work at the dragstrip (Continental Divide Raceways) during the early 60's. Vern eventually fielded 4 more dragsters in the years to follow. Verns son, Brian, took over the driving duties of the family dragster and the teams first major coup was earning the 1978 AHRA Pro Comp world championship. In 1981 the team won the first NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world championship title. In addition to six consecutive NHRA West Central Division Championships (1980-1985), Verns team won nine national event titles, over two dozen divisional and regional races and numerous awards. Vern and his son were inducted into the West Central High & Mighty Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Vern quit racing in 1989 and became involved with various activities including restoring his parents original 59 Impala, being a member of the High Country Chevys car club, the DTA, working on various car projects, helping racers and hot-rodders with their cars, and spending a great deal of time in the machine shop of his basement. He was always available to help out his friends and neighbors as well.