Raymond Leroy Deguise

baby; brought home in a shoe box. The first of 10 children born to Wanda and Clifford Deguise, he

was preceded in death by his mother in 1991; his father in 2003; and a brother, Butch

Deguise, in 2007.

He is survived by his brothers, Jerry (Barb) Deguise, Jim (Elaine)Deguise, Ken Deguise, and Lowell (Kathy) Deguise; sisters Faye (Bob) Hull, Edna (Rick) Street, Linda Goolsby, and Barb (Walt) Kalahan; 35 nieces and nephews; 67 great nieces and nephews; and 10 great-great nieces and nephews.

Born a premature ‘blue baby’ with Cerebral Palsy (CP,) Ray was never supposed to be able

to walk or talk. In fact, doctors gave Ray a time span of 12 years, if he was lucky, but that never

slowed him down. Although it was difficult, Ray walked in one way or another the last 70 years of his life,

and when it came to talking, you could never get the man to shut up.

His family came West from Minnesota in 1954, living in several towns in Washington State before settling in Rochester in 1964. Raymond lived in Rochester until 2013, when he moved to Adna.

Due to lack of knowledge regarding CP in the 40’s and 50’s, Ray was only allowed to complete

school through the 8th grade. He never had what most would consider a "job,” but if you ask us, his main occupation was being an Uncle.

Throughout his life he picked beans and cucumbers, picked bottles and cans along the road, scrapped wire, starters, generators, and TV sets, made leather goods, and built and fixed bikes. He loved children; especially his nieces and nephews. He was always up for scooter rides, shooting hoops, camping, playing the Wii, picking berries, going to the movies, and fishing.

There wasn't a meal that he didn't like and he especially loved his peanut butter toast as a midnight

snack. Waffles were generally the dinner pick of choice should he be home that evening, and most nights

ended with some popcorn before bed. He enjoyed taking people to breakfast. Ray liked to try different

diners in the area to see who made the better biscuits and gravy, only to determine that every place was pretty darn good in general. He liked heading to the coast to pick up oysters and crab. His road trips took him back to Minnesota, Yellowstone National Park, Disneyland, the Redwood National Forest, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Space Needle, the Badlands, Mexico, and Arizona.

Raymond's adventures, travels, and challenges lead him to live a very large life, a life that is hard to

wrap up in a few paragraphs on paper. His outlook on life was amazing. He loved to call his family and

ask about them, what they were doing or eating, or to see what the weather was like. He was always concerned

about others and never had many complaints for himself.

Raymond's family extended farther than his bloodline; the Weavers, his family at Thorbecke’s, Fyzical, JMJ Auto, and RFAN were all touched by Raymond's genuine character and love. Ray was the happiest when he was around people and that's what Raymond was; a smile, a story, a joke, a light for others.

Mathew 5:14-16 says it best: "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light

to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your

good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, January 6th, 2016 at Grand Mound Cemetery in Rochester. A memorial service is scheduled for 2:00 PM on January 6th, 2017, at the Swede Hall in Rochester, Washington. Arrangements are under the care of Sticklin Funeral Chapel, Centralia. Please come join the family to celebrate, grieve, and remember Ray.