Raymond "Ray" & Dorothy Horton

Raymond Stanley Horton was born June 10, 1929 to Curtis Wayne and Ada Mae Horton near Hay Springs, Nebraska. Raymond is survived by his son Stanley Horton (Sharon) of Longmont; daughter Diana Lienemann (Bob) of Salida, CO; Brother Ervin Horton of Reno, NV; nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Dorothy Hamel Horton, his parents, his brother Ronald Horton, his sisters Lenna Thompson, Loretta Moore and three baby siblings.

Raymond Horton’s graveside service will be held at Mountain View Cemetery in Boulder, CO, September 29, 2021 at 1pm with military honors followed by a memorial service at Calvary Bible Evangelical Free Church at 2pm for Raymond and his wife Dorothy (she passed during the peak closures of the COVID pandemic last year).

Ray grew up in Chadron, Nebraska in hard times. By the age of 10 he ran his Uncle's farm, at 13 he became a professional bull rider and at 14 he drove trucks for the military during WW11. He served in the Korean war and led a special forces unit that operated behind enemy lines. He was the last man standing in the Battle of Old Baldie where 1050 US soldiers and 10,000 of the enemy were killed on one day. Ray received multiple purple hearts and many other medals for his time in the service.

Ray met the love of his life Dorothy Hamel, during the Christmas season of 1955 and they were married the following June. Ray worked at Rocky Flats for 30 years mostly as a metallurgist in conjunction with NASA, creating many inventions used in the space program including the micro-extensometer which measures the tensile strength of metals which was a key part of the space program’s success. He also taught Metallurgy courses to professors at the School of Mines. Unfortunately Ray was exposed to many chemicals and radioactive materials in his early work at Rocky Flats, which led to the Pulmonary Fibrosis that eventually took his life on September 13, 2021.

Ray had many interests. He was a sportsman enjoying fishing and hunting. He was also an avid rock & mineral collector and gold miner. He participated in The Colorado Mineral Society, The Denver Gem & Mineral Show, Gold Prospectors of Colorado, North Jeffco Mineral Club, and was a lifetime member of Flatirons Mineral Club. He enjoyed photography & participated in Colorado Nature Photography, Rocky Flats Photography and Broomfield Photography Clubs. He was a 4-H leader for many years and developed Lapidary as a 4-H project. Along with his wife, Ray served as Superintendent of General Projects at the Boulder County Fair.

Ray loved people and led a life filled with the love of family and friends. He was a Christian, loving his Lord Jesus Christ. He attended Grace Evangelical Free Church in Longmont, CO and Calvary Bible Evangelical Free Church in Boulder, CO, serving as a deacon there for many years. His standard departure with his friends was God bless you, God bless your family and God bless America!