Raymond Gerard LaRusso

Born on August 4, 1962 in Illinois to Ramon LaRusso and Constance LaRusso [Riley]. Loving brother to Mary LaRusso, Joe LaRusso, Cara O’Malley, and Ramona Frederickson. Dear uncle to John O’Malley and Audrey O’Malley.

Ray. It’s just three letters but those three letters mean so much to so many. Those three letters mean loving son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.

Not just smart. Ray was brilliant. Not just funny. Ray was laugh-til-you-cry hilarious. Not just kind. Ray was loving.

As a child he was always so curious. He was full of life – full of energy, sparkle, laughter, and light. Being around Ray made people feel – alive. His big brown eyes were full of wonder and his mind was always keen and sharp - searching, questioning, testing. Whether it was exploring in the woods, conducting a science experiment, or launching rockets into the heavens, Ray was always into something – always searching for answers to the question, “why?”.

But sometimes the quest to understand the “why” can also lead us into darkness because while it’s good to use your God-given intelligence and question, sometimes there are no seemingly good answers to why some not-so-good things happen in life – things that don’t make sense and things we will never understand – and we’ll never know the “why”.

Without Faith, unanswered questions become frustrations, and the bitterness leads us away from the Light – and the Truth. Ray struggled with this in his adult life. But he never gave up on God. And God never gave up on Ray, even though Ray sometimes questioned God’s love for him. Throughout his journey, Ray explored different religions - searching, questioning, testing. And while he may not have found any concrete answers to his questions, Ray came to the realization that God loves him no matter what.

In those last months of Ray’s life, those who were close to him saw a change in him – a transformation. He seemed more at peace. The darkness was lifted. And in his big, brown wondrous eyes, once again, there was Light.

Rest in peace dear brother. We never gave up on you and you never gave up on us. We will hold you close, forever, and forever in our hearts.

A Reading of the Rosary will be held on May 14, 2025 at 10:30AM, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00AM at the Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church. Please join the family for a time of laughter and remembrance after Mass. To those who cannot attend in person, please use the link posted below to attend the service virtually.