Obituary of Raymond John Wesley
Ray died peacefully on July 27 with Jean and Raymond at his bedside.
He is survived by wife, Jean Wesley of 56 years, father to Wendy Murphy, Lynn and (Paul) Loignon, Deanna Wesley and (Tony Gustafson), Michelle and (Mike) Heisler & Raymond and (Bethany) Wesley. Grandfather to Alex, Nick, Allison, Maddie, Bradley, Taylor, Jace, Amber, Lola and Millie. Great-grand children Liliana, Makiah, J.J., MaMikel, Greggory and Diovanni. Sister Sandy Erickson and brother Scott Meland. Many nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by son Mark Buschmann, great grandson J.J. Owens, parents Stanley and Lilly Wesley and birth mother, Thelma Albrecht.
As a child Ray designed cars and entered them in the Fisher Body Craftsman Guild competition through general motors. At age 19 he was a Regional Winner and was asked to move to California to attend design school. Ray declined and attended Augsburg College in Minnesota. He was an Art Teacher in the Eden Prairie and Osseo school districts for several years. Then, he and Jean owned a business where they designed and built beautiful custom homes. In retirement Ray taught Driver’s Ed and his motto was “I Am Not Afraid to Die”.
Ray was proud to play an important role in the Maple Grove Planning Commission for over a decade. He was honored to be included in a school planning committee where he was able to support the development of a new school in Maple Grove.
He was an avid Minnesota Vikings fan and held season tickets for 42 years. When Jean wasn’t at his side, his children took turns attending the games until his son Raymond was born. Raymond began attending games at 18 months old and didn’t miss a game until he moved to Bemidji in 2007 when Jean reclaimed her seat.
Although many people weren’t aware, Ray loved cats. He enjoyed spending time with his cat Midnight and Orie (the devil cat).
Ray’s passion was creating art. He spent his down time creating sculptures and developed a unique form of abstract art sculptures (pictured) inspired by a mistake made while bronzing a sculpture with his son Raymond.
Ray was driven by his love and connection with his family. At times he had a difficult time verbalizing his love for his children and grand-children but they knew how much he cared by the expression on his face and the sparkle in his eyes when they visited.
Ray’s family will be celebrating his life on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM at 19436 Elgin Ct. NW, Elk River, MN. Please join us to remember Ray.
