Raymond E. Wiedle

Ray was the loving husband of over 35 years to Alison Wiedle (nee: Bealmer); devoted father of Matthew (Lara) Wiedle of Austin, TX, Nathan (Wendy) Blackwell of Tucson, AZ, and Brittany (Jose) Garcia of St. Louis, MO; cherished grandfather of Jordan Lemmond of Brooklyn, NY, Brenan Blackwell of Tucson, AZ, Andy Garcia-Blackwell of St. Louis, MO, Isabelle Garcia-Blackwell of St. Louis, MO, and Macy Blackwell of Tucson, AZ; and dear brother of Carl (Nancy) Wiedle of Shattuc, IL, Fred (Lynette) Wiedle of Salem, IL, Catherine Ballah of Hoffman, IL, Marilyn Nordike of Hoffman, IL, and Barbara (Robert) Johnson of Rochester, MN. Ray is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lewis and Helen Wiedle; and sister, Dorothy Orr.

Ray proudly served in the U.S. Navy for nearly 6 years during the Vietnam War, stationed aboard the USS Roosevelt. After his military service, he went on to work in the Telecommunications field as both a Lineman and Troubleshooter for more than 33 years, before retiring from AT&T in 2006. He was a member of The Church of St. Michael & St. George of Clayton, MO, and a co-founder of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight based out of Springfield, IL. In his spare time, he enjoyed putting jigsaw puzzles together, playing Solitaire, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals play. Ray took great pride in serving his fellow veterans, and he was a family man through and through who loved spending quality time with his wife, kids, and grandkids. Ray will be remembered as a loving, caring, unselfish man who had twinkling blue eyes, a big smile, and even bigger heart. He will truly be missed by all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Ray’s name to the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, 57 Country Place, Springfield, IL 62703.