Raymond "Ray" Howerton

Raymond Howerton, 74, of Baker City, Oregon died Tuesday night, September 14, 2021 in the comfort of his own home surrounded by his loving friends and family.  A celebration of life will take place on October 22- 3 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Club in Baker City (2005 Valley Ave).  Please join us for food, drinks, a good time, and story sharing. 

Raymond “Ray” Howerton was born August 13, 1947 in Bremerton, Washington.  He then moved to Pondosa in Union County and continued school in Baker county where met tons of friends. He has never missed a class reunion and never forgot a name.

Ray joined the United States Army and was deployed 3 times, serving from 1966~ 1969.  On his first deployment he traveled by ship for 13 days, from Tacoma, Washington to Vietnam. During this time, Raymond was honored with a Purple Heart.

Ray married his first wife Debbie in 1970 and together had 3 daughters.  They later divorced. Not long after the divorce their 2 year old daughter Mary was diagnosed with cancer, sadly, she lost her fight at age 4. Ray and Debbie remained very close through the years raising their 2 other daughters.   In 1994 he married Jacquelyn Jones. The two were inseparable and did not like to be apart, she adored Ray and cherished taking care of him. Ray was loud spoken and everyone would tell her, “you’re lucky you’re deaf, he is loud”!

Ray worked for the City of Baker 21 years until he retired due to medical disabilities.  During the years he worked for the city, he also did respite for Step Forward.  Even though he had to retire at a very young age due to heart failure he fought death many times! We like to call him our miracle.

Ray enjoyed the outdoors and was a great hunter and fisherman. He loved getting loads of firewood, the fall season, the color blue and lived by the philosophy that “life is what you make it”.  Ray was a die-hard Raider fan “Raider Nation”. He lived for his grandkids and loved them all very much. He cared about so many people, no one was a stranger and helped anyone in any way he could. Ray was very proud of his daughters and the life’s they were blessed with.  Ray was very kind, funny, quick witted, and life of the party. “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Ray was preceded in death by his daughter Mary Howerton; mother Lorraine Dawson; father Jim Howerton and stepdad Dorrel Spence; brothers Barney and Jerry Howerton and D Spence.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years Jacqueline Howerton;  daughters Becky and Rus Hull, Jenny and Victor Sanchez;  step children Sally Sheeks, Jula and Aitor Ansotegui, Don and Geneva Olson, Mark and Paige Olson; brother Denny Spence; sisters Eva Blanger and Audrianne Brunnell; grandchildren Richard, Haven, Rei, Tyler and Case Olson, Jacob Shoop, Aspen, Arianna and Gaven Nelson, Xavier, Anaya, and Penelope Sanchez, Daniel Humbert, Brittnee Webb, Aj Ansotegui, Tabbi Groshens, and Samantha hull; great grand babies Alexis, Dallas and Isabella; many nieces and nephews.

A special thanks to Tami, Stephanie and Heart n’ Home Hospice.

For those who would like to make a memorial donation in memory of Ray the family suggests the “Hunt of a Lifetime” through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Services PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon 97834. Online condolences can be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com