Gary C. Raff

While growing up in Lansing, he enjoyed many great times with family and friends on Long Lake and in Grand Haven. He graduated from Everett High School in 1963 and then spent two years working as a draftsman. He proudly served in the U.S. Air Force from 1965 - 1969, stationed at Hickam Air Force base in Hawaii, where he was also inspired for the first time to coach youth sports.

He and his wife, Pamela (Bell) Raff, were married in 1967 in East Lansing and returned to Lansing in 1969. With the support of the GI Bill he became a full time college student and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Education from Michigan State University in 1973, while also coaching basketball at Lansing Community College, working multiple part-time jobs, and starting a family. He earned a Masters degree in Education from Michigan State. He began his teaching career at Gardner Middle School and then taught History and Phys Ed at Sexton High School for many years. After coaching a variety of sports at both schools throughout that time, he was proud to be named the head football coach at Sexton in 1980. He was awarded the Class A high school football coach of the year in 1985. He then had the honor of being an assistant coach at Michigan State University for nine years, highlighted by a Rose Bowl win in 1988.

He also served as the Assistant Principal at North Elementary from 1995 to 1998. Following his retirement from the Lansing School District, he became the Director of Recruitment for the State Michigan Department of Corrections until 2001, when he and Pam moved to Green Valley, Arizona. They spent more than 15 years enjoying retirement in the Southwest, making many friends, playing a lot of golf, visiting National Parks, and traveling to wonderful places inside and outside the United States. They recently moved back to the Lansing area. Throughout his life he has always enjoyed fishing, hunting, and golf, and later woodworking. He was especially gifted at making beautiful wooden bowls, but undoubtedly his finest work, was the treasured rocking horse he made for his grandchildren.

Gary was preceded in death by his fathers, Carl Raff and Calvin Baldus; mother, Norma Raff; and brother, Kevin Baldus.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Pamela (Bell) Raff; his daughters, Jennifer (Mark) Shapiro and Jessica (Brock) Cooper; his four grandchildren, Whitney, Justin, Lauren, and Jake; his stepmother, Verla Baldus Thomas; his siblings, Peggy (Ron) Becker, Jack Raff, Patti Baldus, Jode (Don) Taylor, Hunter Baldus, Lori (Guy) Phipps, and Dion (Rachel) Baldus; as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

The family would like to thank the wonderful, caring staff at Brookdale Meridian and Hospice of Lansing and truly grateful for all of their support.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, December 20, 2019 at 2 p.m. at the Huntington Club at Spartan Stadium, 535 Chestnut St., in East Lansing. A Celebration of Life Gathering will follow the service until 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Tony Noyola Memorial Fund, care of Kelly Brown, Lansing Parks and Recreation, 200 N. Foster, Lansing, MI, 48912, the Special Olympics Area 8, 2901 Wabash Rd, Lansing, MI 48910, or Lansing Hospice through the Sparrow Foundation, 1322 E. Michigan Avenue, Suite 204, Lansing, MI 48909.

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