Raymond Wilbur Zenkert Sr.

Raymond W Zenkert, Sr., age 97, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. He was born on July 2,1928 in Cleveland, Ohio to Carl and Lydia (Meister) Zenkert. He was preceded in death by his parents, older sister Evelyn Jaworski and older brother Carl Zenkert, Jr. While attending Rhodes High School and after graduation, he worked for his father in the plumbing business and ran the company after his father’s untimely passing in 1958. In 1950, Ray married Kathryn Nottke and their love story lasted for 75 years. In 1951, Ray was drafted into the United States Army where he served in Alaska during the Korean Conflict.

Ray and Kathy were blessed with three children: Raymond, Jr, (Karen Lupien), Kathy Lynn (Gary Ringenberg) and William (Kathy Carpenter, deceased). They raised their family in North Royalton, Ohio. After the sale of the family plumbing business, Ray worked in the heating and air conditioning business. In 1987, Ray and Kathy purchased their home at Beulah Beach on Lake Erie in Vermilion, Ohio where they lived until moving to StoryPoint Senior Living Community in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2020.

A life-long member of the Brooklyn Missionary Church (now Trinity Church), Ray taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, and served in many leadership roles. He was never hesitant to share his faith in God and left an indelible impact and legacy for his family and his many friends (of all ages) with his strong faith and gentle spirit.

Ray enjoyed several sports and hobbies throughout his life: His love for baseball – especially following the Cleveland Indians, allowed for taking the family to many games and he never stopped being a fan. One proud moment was when he caught a foul ball on the fly at Jacob’s Field in 1986 with his son Ray, Jr. and two grandsons and received an Indians “contract”. Ray enjoyed watching all his grandchildren play ball and attended as many games as he could. As a young man, Ray played softball on the church team and was known for his skills as a left-handed first baseman. Along with baseball, Ray could skate and had a love for the game of hockey. It has given many memories of skating as a family, attending pro games, catching pucks and passing this love down to grandsons who played hockey and continue to enjoy and play the game as adults. Ray took up golf later in his life and played regularly until his early 90’s, passing the love of this sport to great grandchildren who currently play competitively in high school.

Living on Lake Erie gave Ray many opportunities to fish on his boat, the “Sara Grace” (named after his only granddaughter). This love for fishing was embraced by his sons and several grandsons. As a child, Ray had a love for model trains. Kathy gave him his first Lionel train as a Christmas gift in 1950. That train is displayed proudly in their apartment today. Through the years, the basement train table grew and became an elaborate set up and a place that created many memories and entertainment for his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and anyone who came to the house. He was a handy man on the side, willing to help with repairs often at no charge. He was a volunteer when they lived at Beulah Beach Christian Camp and Retreat Center and helped wherever needed to maintain the cottages and grounds.

In addition to being blessed with three children, Ray was a devoted grandpa to his five grandchildren: Chad (Amy) Grieser, Sara (Tommy) O’Donnell, Raymond (Shannon) Zenkert III, Michael (Julianna) Zenkert, and Anthony (Victoria) Grieser.

Ray’s legacy also lives in his nine great-grandchildren: Declan, Gavin, Gibson, Anthony Grieser, Deleasia and AnnaLee O’Donnell, Madelyn, Thomas and Rebecca Zenkert.

A Celebration of Life service will take place on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 10:30 am at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Home- Covington Knolls, at 8325 Covington Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Beulah Beach Camp and Retreat Center, 6101 W. Lake Rd., Vermilion, OH 44089 or visit the website at www.bbeach.org where contributions may be made online.