Raymond G. Burns, Jr., 62, of Louisville passed away peacefully on Friday, January 18, 2019 surrounded by his loved ones. He was born on April 16, 1956 in Louisville to the late Raymond and Diane (Warren) Burns. Ray was a retired journeyman with the Sheet Metal Workers Local #110 and a member of Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and the MBS Men’s Club.
He was a graduate of St. Lawrence grade school and Bishop David High School ('74), a member of the Druts softball team, a Louisville Catholic School Athletic Association official, and former coach for MBS youth football and basketball teams. He was also a member of the Kentucky B.A.S.S. Federation where he served as their Youth Director and organized the Casting Kids events for many years.
Ray was the inventor of the “Death Wish For Fish” model number OU812. He had a passion for his Uncle Bob’s assignment as a 325th Fighter Group Checkertail Clan pilot, and made a trip with surviving pilots to lay a wreath at the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C.
Ray had a large and outgoing personality and never seemed to meet a stranger. Always quick with a smile, he was the King of a cheap joke and had a laugh for every occasion. In addition to having a great sense of humor, he was an avid University of Kentucky Wildcats fan and loved his dogs Rudy and Boomer.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Lucy (née Osborn); a daughter, Kathleen Burns; sons, Jimmy, Billy, and Raymond Burns III (Danica); siblings, Cathy Wachtel, Lisa Morley (Nick), Billy Burns, and Suzanne Burns, and his many nieces and nephews. He will be long remembered by his Drut brothers and sisters, his Bucketmouth Brigade fishing buddies, and his lifelong friend Steve Cambron.
A funeral mass of celebration for Ray will be held at 10 am Tuesday at Most Blessed Sacrament, 3509 Taylor Blvd. with interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Southern Home of Arch L. Heady & Son, 3601 Taylor Blvd. from 2-8 pm Monday. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.archlheadysouthernfh.com.
