Raymond E. Baxter Jr.

The son of Dr. Raymond E. Baxter and Eleanor Floyd Baxter, Ray was born on April 21, 1935 in Los Angeles, CA. He married Martha Lou Murray in Bloomington on September 12, 1959.

Surviving Ray are his sister Terri (Dave) Whirrett, Columbia SC; two daughters, Julie (Emmanuel) Calmès, Bloomington, and Kathryn (Daniel) Cole, Hinsdale; and seven grandchildren: Abigail, Jane, Louis, Grace, Antoine, Charlotte and Madeline. Ray is also survived by nieces Amy Hartline and Linda (Jay) Querrey and by nephew Dr. Brian (Elizabeth) Whirrett. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Robin Aldridge, brother William (Bill) Baxter and niece Nancy Capezio.

Ray attended Washington Elementary School and graduated from Bloomington High School in 1953. He earned his B.A. in Economics at DePauw University in 1958 and was a proud member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Upon graduating, Ray served in the U.S. Army in Korea and at Fort Benjamin, Indianapolis.

After his military discharge, Ray began his lengthy management career in corporate roles with General Telephone Company of Illinois and Peoples Bank of Bloomington before embarking on a new adventure in the shopping center business in 1978. He assisted in the development and was general manager of College Hills Mall before relocating to Memphis, TN to manage Hickory Ridge Mall and Mall of Memphis. Ray retired in May 2000 and returned to his beloved Bloomington, where he happily applied his property management experience as founding president of the Crosswinds Homeowners Association.

Ray was one of the founding developers of Crestwicke Country Club and was a community leader in numerous organizations, including Young Men's Club, the BroMenn Advisory Board and the Chamber of Commerce. Throughout his life, he enjoyed lap swimming, long-distance cycling, boating, Lionel model trains, singing and playing the ukulele. Ray was a loving father, grandfather and friend. He gave the best bear hugs on the planet and never missed an opportunity to tell his family how proud he was of them and how much he loved them.

Ray has been accorded the rights of cremation. A Celebration of his Life will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Eastland Suites Hotel & Conference Center, 1801 Eastland Drive, Bloomington, IL, 61704.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made online to Autism McLean or by mail to Autism McLean, PO Box 422, Normal, IL 61761-0422.