R. Jerry Ray

Robert Jerry Ray died peacefully on August 26, 2026, with loved ones by his side. He was 98 years old and had been a resident of Maplewood at Chardon since Halloween 2023.

Jerry was born on May 17, 1928 in Highmore, South Dakota, to Robert and Sibyl Ray. When he was nine years old, Jerry lost the vision in his left eye in a sporting accident. He quickly compensated for the loss, becoming an exceptional marksman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities with his three brothers.

After high school, Jerry earned a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines. While in college, he met Bethene Deuter at a dance. Decades later, he showed his grandchildren the exact spot where she was standing when he first saw her. The couple married on December 21, 1951. Throughout their 70-year marriage, he routinely called his wife "Pretty Lady."

Despite his partial blindness, the U.S. Army drafted Jerry during the Korean War. He trained with an infantry regiment. When it was scheduled to ship overseas, Jerry's parents vehemently objected to the folly of sending a one-eyed soldier to a combat zone. The Army then transferred him to the Signal Corps. He was discharged from Camp Belvoir, VA.

A licensed professional engineer, Jerry then designed roads in several locations in Ohio. He and Bethene eventually settled in Munson, where their family grew to include six children. Jerry designed and built his dream home during the 1970s and decided not to sell it when they relocated to Montrose, Colorado. When he and his wife became empty-nesters, Jerry began accepting temporary work assignments in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Hawaii. After spending five and a half years on Kaui, the couple retired to Chardon, snow capital of Ohio, to be near their kids. They moved into a smaller home Jerry designed for them. They also purchased a condo in Titusville, Florida where they became part of a closeknit group of snowbirds for more than 20 years. Jerry served a term as president of its Home Owners Association.

Throughout his life, Jerry's core value was honesty. He could not abide pretentious people or phonies, whom he dubbed "counterfeit." He was extremely proud of the fact that all six of his children stayed married to their original spouses, information he sometimes volunteered to patients in doctors' waiting rooms and medical personnel. He was unfailingly kind and respectful to elderly relatives, neighbors and strangers, no matter how annoying.

When his wife lost her vision to macular degeneration, Jerry devotedly took care of her for many years Only when she became immobile would he relinquish his caregiver duties. For weeks, he feigned cheerfulness while visiting her in a nursing home, but then wept when he left the building. Bethene Ray died in August 2022.

Besides his cherished wife, Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and his beloved son-in-law, Dr. Jerry Yen. He is survived by his children Jerri Donohue (Bill) of Brecksville; Joni Yen (Dr. Jerry, deceased) of Pleasanton, California; Tate (Patty); Todd (Mary); Troy (Maureen) all of Munson; and Thad (Dory) of Yukon, Oklahoma; 17 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren; his brother, Hal Ray; and a large extended family. Jerry's children are grateful for the conscientious, compassionate care provided by his team from Adoration Hospice during the past year.

Mass of Christian Burial Thursday, September 3, 2026, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 401 North Street, Chardon, Ohio 44024, at 11 AM.

Burial following at Maple Hill Cemetery in Munson Township, Ohio.

Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Jerry at THE DeJOHN FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY OF CHARDON (formerly Ritondaro) 126 SOUTH ST. (Rt. 44, south of Rt. 6/Chardon Square) WEDNESDAY, from 4-8 PM.