Ray Sullivan

Died May 4, 2016

Class of 1957 President

Raymond Peter Sullivan, 77, passed away Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at Royal Plaza in Lewiston.

Raymond is survived by his wife, Janice; his four children, Kristina (Dan) Demaray of Billings, Mont., Karla Sokolowski of Lawrenceville, Ga., Kathy (Stephen) Wimer of Seattle, and Kurt Sullivan of Spokane; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and sister JoAnn Bull of Meridian, Idaho.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather; and sister Kathy Paul.  Raymond was born July 20, 1938, to Mildred (Oien) and Raymond C. Sullivan in Potlatch. After his parents divorced, he moved to Spokane, where his mother remarried Chester Bull. The family moved to Lewiston when he was in grade school, and he eventually graduated from Lewiston High School as the president of the class of 1957. At the same time as he attended high school, Raymond started work at the age of 14 as a shop boy at Lewiston Plumbing, where he would begin to learn the trade that would take him through his lifelong career. He was initiated into the Local No. 44 Plumbers and Steamfitters Union in Spokane as a journeyman in June of 1959.

In February, Raymond celebrated 58 years of marriage to his beloved wife, Janice (Smith). Raymond kept busy with family and work but also enjoyed his time participating in a bowling league, softball team, and being a "pit crew" member of his brother-in-law's stock car racing team. For a number of years he was also a member of the American Legion Baseball Committee. While living in Lewiston, he worked on the Dworshak Dam project, the coliseum at Washington State University, several jobs at Potlatch Forests Inc., to name a few. In 1974, his job took him and his family on a journey across the country, starting in Billings, Mont., then Atlanta and eventually circling back to the Northwest to Spokane, working as a plumber/steamfitter for large construction as a supervisor. He retired in 1993 after moving back to the Lewiston area.

Raymond and his wife, Jan, were avid golfers and built their retirement home near Quail Ridge Golf Course and played often, either with each other on "couples" or Ray, with his great friends and golf buddies, the "Grumpies." His favorite place was his garage, where he would putter around building and repairing. His piece de resistance was his fancy stocked golf cart.

The family would like to express its thanks to the care staff at Prestige Rehabilitation, Tri-State Memorial Hospital and Royal Plaza.A private family celebration will be held at a future date.

 Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home of Lewiston is in charge of arrangements.