Mr. Ray J. Chaptini

Mr. Ray J. Chaptini, age 30 of Macomb Township passed away August 10, 2010 at his home. He was born October 13, 1979 in Detroit. He taught math in the Detroit Public Schools. His favorite pastime was horseshoes. He is survived by his wife Autumn; children Summer and Lily; parents Jacques and Patricia Chaptini; in-laws David and Linda Siemen; siblings Toufic, Samy (Nicole), Paul, and Renee (Jim) Sitarski; grandmothers Naila Chaptini and Concetta Molinaro; nephew Jacob; nieces Isabella and God Child Elijah. Visitation Sunday 2-9:00PM, Prayers 7:30PM at Resurrection Funeral Home 40800 Hayes Road (s. of 18 mi) and 10:30AM until time of mass 11:00AM at St Sharbel Church. Entombment at Resurrection Cemetery.

“Anything is possible.” That is what Mr. Ray J. Chaptini believed about life. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Ray thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Ray was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.

Ray was born on October 13, 1979 at Hutzel Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were Jacques and Patricia Chaptini. Ray was raised in Clinton Township, Michigan. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Ray could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.

This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Ray's family relationships. Ray was raised with four siblings. He had three brothers; Toufic, Sam, and Paul, and one sister, Renee. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Ray was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.

As a young boy, Ray could be found building and inventing new and different things. He was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. Ray took part in football. In his spare time he liked GI Joes, comic books, football in the backyard, and trading cards.

Endowed with an appetite for knowing how his world worked, Ray enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. Ray was adept at scrutinizing different possibilities and designing innovative solutions. He graduated from Chippewa Valley High School in 1998. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite classes in high school were Gym and Math. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Ms. Malinovich. His greatest accomplishment was graduating!

Because he was a quick thinker and adept at picking up on new things, Ray performed well in college. He was always on a quest for knowledge and he relished the experience. Theories intrigued him, and he was good at solving complex problems. He always wanted to understand rather than judge. He earned his Teaching Degree from Wayne State University. He also pursued graduate school, earning his Masters Degree in Education. One of his favorite courses was African Dance.

Ray was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. Always interested in his friends’ activities and interests, Ray was uncritical of his acquaintances. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found Ray to be very stimulating company. Ray's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. While growing up, some of his best friends were Bruce, Jay Luke his brother Paul, Phil, Brian, and Andrew. Later in life, his friends included Dave, Paul, Mike, Jay, Bruce, Andrew, Ray, Craig, Greg, Nick, Rick, Stacey, Noe, and many more!

On July 22, 2006 Ray exchanged wedding vows with Autumn Lynn Sieman at St. Sharbel Catholic Church in Warren, Michigan. Ray was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. Ray was seldom a critical person, but rather the one who was able to bring out the best in others. Ray was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to his spouse’s needs. He was a vibrant personality and he enjoyed verbally sparring with Autumn. In fact, those who knew him often remarked that Ray loved to argue for argument’s sake. He was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings, especially regarding Autumn's.

Ray's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced his relationship with his children. He would create original, clever and fun games for his kids and had a knack for finding ways to make everyday events, even chores, enjoyable to them. Ray was blessed with two daughters, Summer age 3, and Lilly age 2. Someone who was quick to laugh, Ray found it easy to spend lots of time with his children, but he was never overbearing or guilty of pushing himself on them.

As a born inventor, Ray was definitely in his element in his work place. He could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Ray was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. Ray was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. His primary occupation was a Math Teacher. He was employed for nine years for the Detroit Public Schools. Ray always made an effort to be a team player, doing what needed was necessary in order to get the job done.

Ray's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Ray was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that Ray simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits were going to U of M games, having fun with family and friends, watching Bears games and playing horseshoes. He also enjoyed going to Uncle Pauli's cabin.

Ray's calm demeanor and eternally positive outlook served him well in sports. In high school, Ray played football. Recreational sports included semi pro Horseshoes. Ray was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball, and hockey.

Faith and religion were important to Ray. He was a member of St. Sharbel Catholic Church for 30 years. During that time, he was Godfather to Elijah.

Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Ray. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Ray to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included going UP North, Las Vegas, Cruises, and Kentucky.

Ray passed away on August 10, 2010 at home in Macomb, Michigan. Ray died surrounded by his siblings and mother. Ray fought a brave battle against stomach cancer. He is survived by wife Autumn; children Summer and Lily; parents Jacques and Patricia Chaptini; in-laws David and Linda Siemen; siblings Toufic, Samy (Nicole), Paul, and Renee (Jim) Sitarski; grandmothers Naila Chaptini and Concetta Molinaro; nephew Jacob; niece Isabella and Godchild Elijah. Visitation Sunday 2-9:00PM, Prayers 7:30PM at Resurrection Funeral Home 40800 Hayes Road (s. of 18 mi) and 10:30AM until time of Mass 11:00AM at St Sharbel Church. Ray will be laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township, Michigan.

During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Ray. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Ray was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Ray, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Mr. Ray J. Chaptini, the fun of living his life could be found in the challenge.