Rudolph "Bill" William Raabe Jr.

Bill was born in Richmond, Virginia on July 13, 1929, to Rudolph and May Raabe. He graduated from Capital Radio Institute in Washington, DC; earned a Bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech University (Blacksburg, VA) and continued on to The University of Richmond, where he studied market research. He married Jean Carroll Broske on May 5, 1961 and they enjoyed 63 years of marriage together.

Bill worked as a purchasing agent for many companies: General Services for the City of Richmond, VA; Lockheed of Marietta, GA; Ling Temco Vought, Grand Prairie, TX; Motorola of Scottsdale, AZ; Texas Instruments of Dallas, TX. He retired from Bell Helicopter Textron, Euless, TX, after 23 years. He loved hiking, travelling, amateur radio, family gatherings, and all the relationships he made through his church community, especially his relationship with God. He was actively involved in the Amateur Radio Club of Richmond, VA and the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Texas, who awarded him the 1995 Buyer of the Year Award. He and Jean knew and ministered to their neighbors in the name of Jesus; their home has been a place of hospitality and welcome. Bill and Jean volunteered many summers at the Bible Study Fellowship Headquarters, San Antonio, Texas assembling materials. He was a member of the Marathon Sunday School class and a very wonderful Tuesday night Bible study through Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, Texas.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Patricia (Bill) Garber. He is survived by his wife, Jean, and his children Andrea (James) Johnson, Chris (Ellen) Raabe, RW (Karen Moon) Raabe, III, Cynthia (Ken) Barnhouse, and Jonathan David Raabe. Also his grandchildren Ella Johnson, Emily (fiancé Brendon Caballero) Barnhouse,Josh (Kenzie) Barnhouse, Austin Moon-Raabe. Nieces and nephews Linda Willet, Patricia Sebastian, Betty Jo Jenkins, Barbara Ellen Baldacci, Donna Marie Kinney, William Broske Jr and Elizabeth Gallaher, and many other family and friends.

Visitation and viewing will be held 6-8 pm, Friday, May 31, 2024, at Metrocrest Funeral Home (1810 N Perry Rd, Carrollton, TX 75006) The Funeral Service will be held there at 11 am, Saturday, June 1, 2024, with Dr. Jace Cloud (Grace Bible Church, Dallas) officiating. Interment will follow at Metrocrest Hilltop Cemetery.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.--- I Thess. 4.13-18.