Raymond L Bee

Raymond Lee Bee, 89, returned to his heavenly home on April 23rd, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was a talented musician playing guitar and mandolin and visiting Pearl Texas BlueGrass Jam for many years. He loved to read books about the supernatural and play bingo.

Raymond was born to the late Ralph Bee and Mary Dean of Palmer, West Virginia on June 18th, 1934.

Raymond Lee Bee, 89, returned to his heavenly home on April 23rd, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was a talented musician playing guitar and mandolin and visiting Pearl Texas BlueGrass Jam for many years. He loved to read books about the supernatural and play bingo.

Raymond was born to the late Ralph Bee and Mary Dean of Palmer, West Virginia on June 18th, 1934. He was raised deep in the mountains of West Virginia in a wood cabin where he learned about plants and medicinal herbs from his mom. He joined the National Guard in 1952 and then the Army in 1953 before meeting and marrying his wife Cleona while stationed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey in 1960.

Raymond served in Vietnam from September 1967 to June of 1968 as a MP. He was stationed in Korea, Fort Bragg North Carolina, Germany, The Presidio San Francisco, Fort Lewis in Washington, Fort Gordon in Georgia before settling his family at Fort Hood, TX in August of 1977. He retired in 1978 after 25 years with the rank of Sergeant First Class. Raymond’s commendations include: National Defense Service Medal w/1st Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnam Service Medal w/ 4 Bronze Service Stars, Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Unit Citations, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation; and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Palm. Raymond then started 2nd career as a prison guard with the Texas Department of Corrections retiring in 2004.

Those left to cherish his memory are his brother Charles Bee of Taylor, MI, his wife of 62 years Cleona Bee, his daughters Robin Six and her husband John of Columbus, Ohio, Linda Rubrecht and her husband James of Mount Sterling, OH and his son, Randall Lee Bee and his wife Tracey of Austin, TX. He is survived by grandsons, Paul Six and Shawn Bee and granddaughters, Karen Tomasik, Jessica Six, Cheryl Grimm and Bethany Shultz and great granddaughters Emily and Rebecca Tomasik.

He is preceded in death by his parents and brothers Herbert Bee and John Jones.

The Bee family will receive friends at the Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home Monday May 1st, between 6pm and 8pm. A celebration of life will occur May 2nd Tuesday at 11:00 am at Crawford Bowers, a burial will follow at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at 1pm.

The family invites fellow mourners to donate to the USO or Wounded Warriors Family Support in lieu of flowers.