Raymond “Ray” Curtis passed away from cancer July 6, 2018, surrounded by family.

Raymond was born May 18, 1935, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Auer and Ada (Johnson) Curtis. Ray grew up in Burns and worked as a ranch hand in the Steens Mountain area during his teens. He joined the Air Force in his early 20s, where he served on active duty for four years. In 1966, he met Patricia Boyles; they wed in 1967 and recently celebrated 51 years of marriage. Ray held many different kinds of jobs, from gas attendant to bartender to oil truck driver, but he worked longest and best as a delivery man for the United Parcel Service (UPS), a job that required relocating to John Day, where he lived for 36 years. With UPS, he covered the area around Mayville, Fossil, Service Creek, Spray, and Kimberly; he became a welcomed daily presence in the communities there. Ray retired from UPS in 1998 after 22 years in the driver’s seat. Ray and Patricia have resided in La Pine since 2013, when they decided to be closer to their daughter, Cynthia Rae Lee.

A kind and gentle man who had a handshake and smile for everyone he met, Ray enjoyed animals and horseback riding, hunting and fishing, and buying the latest and most perfect tool for tasks he did not yet have. He was an active member of the First Baptist Church in John Day, and then the La Pine Community Church.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Curtis of La Pine; son, Scott Curtis of Doha, Qatar; daughter, Cindy of La Pine; sister, Donna Gunkel of Burns; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

His father, Auer of Burns; mother, Ada of Burns; sister, Evelyn of Burns; and brother, Melvin of Portland all passed before him.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 14, at the La Pine Community Church. Donations in his name may be made to Partners in Care Hospice Service (Bend) or the American Cancer Society.