Raymond Joseph Wrobel

Raymond (Ray) J. Wrobel was born to Joseph and Victoria (Byer) Wrobel on July 5, 1917, in Toledo, Ohio. He turned 99 years young on his most recent birthday. He passed away on August 26, 2016 after a brief stay in the hospital.

Ray was in the Army/Air Corp and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. When recounting his time in Europe he would say it was the kind of cold that went right through you, and rations on a good day, were nothing to write home about. One of his best stories went as follows; when his company would come to a village or town if you will, most of his fellow soldiers would make haste to the nearest tavern, but not Ray. He made it a point to search out the local bakery, because he knew that the ovens would keep him warm so he would get a good nights sleep, and most likely a loaf of bread in the morning before he left. Not too bad for a boy from Toledo… Upon returning to the States he was stationed at Castle Air Force Base, and at that time he began his life in Merced.

Ray met the love of his life, Patrina (Pat) Ferranti, at a wedding. The story goes something like this, Ray was in a local tavern having a beverage when a soldier came in and asked him to stand in at his wedding because his best man was nowhere to be found. Pat happened to be a bridesmaid in that wedding and so their story began, over 70 years ago. Pat and Ray were married on April 6, 1946, and before her passing in May of 2014 they had been married for 68 years.

After his Military service, Ray worked on various local Gold Dredgers for the Hammonton-Marigold Company in Snelling, and also in Marysville for a short time. If you drive out to Snelling, and you get close to the Merced River you will notice the piles of river rock on the side of the road, you can be sure that in some way Ray had a hand in creating them. On October 15, 1951 he began working for the Merced County Fire Department. He was employed for 22 years, serving as the District Fire Chief for 20 of those years. He retired from County Service on January 6, 1973. He would always mention how even he would have never thought he would see 43 years of retirement, and he was pretty certain the County didn’t see that one coming either!

Pat and Ray traveled many places during their retirement. Their trips took them to England, France, Italy, Sicily, Switzerland, Greece, and extensively through the United States and Canada. As a couple they were blessed to have been able to spend many years of their retirement enjoying each other’s company and participating in many local activities. Ray was a member of the American Legion Post 83 for 65 years, Atwater AARP, and Merced & Winton Seniors Club.

When Pat suffered a stroke and was not able to live at home any longer, she could not have asked for a more devoted husband than Ray. While he was still able to drive he would go out to see her every day, most often to be there to share all her meals. Later he would take public transportation out to see her, and although it was not always easy for him, he knew how important it was that he be there for her.

In April of 2014 Ray was privileged to be able to participate in the Veterans Honor flight to Washington DC. This was a trip that he thoroughly enjoyed not only because of the sights but even more due to the fellowship he experienced with his comrades.

After Pat passed away, Ray made an effort to keep himself busy. One thing he liked to do was to take the bus to the Merced Mall to do a little walking and to meet friends for lunch. Most of the local bus drivers knew him by name and sometimes if he wasn’t in a hurry to get home he would take an extended ride with the driver. For Ray, it was nice to see the countryside he was so familiar with and for the Driver it was a chance to chat with a man that could talk on any subject with the knowledge to back it up.

Until April of this year he was blessed to have remained independent, which is what he always strived for. One of his favorite sayings was “You have to keep on moving”, and that is exactly what he did. This attitude served him well. If you went to the grocery store with him on Sunday morning you got to witness Coupon shopping at its finest! He knew exactly what he was looking for, and never strayed from what was on his list. If you spoke to him on the phone, your conversation most likely ended with him saying “Right O”.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Pat, son and brother. He is survived by his grandsons, many nieces, nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews.

His determination, intelligence and knowledge will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Anyone that wishes to honor Ray’s memory may send a donation to the charity of their choice. The family wishes to acknowledge Dr. DelaPena, Deanna, Adriana and Anberry Rehabilitation Hospital for their care, kindness and friendship to both Pat and Ray.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. with funeral services immediately following at Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home located at 1490 B Street. Burial will take place following services at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery located at 1480 B Street, Merced.

Arrangements under the direction of Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home, Merced, CA.