Doris Lorraine Raila

Born on August 30, 1934 Doris was the daughter of Alma and Leon Larson. Raised on a farm in Wisconsin that produced dairy, cigar tobacco, feed corn, and apples, she developed a lifelong commitment to family, faith, and hard work. Doris especially loved the apple orchard; later building a treehouse for her children in the last apple tree.

A charming family story recalls a young, perhaps mischievous Doris getting stuck inside a milking can; she had to wait patiently for the milking to conclude before her worried father could finally free her using lard!

Doris attended Edgerton High School in Edgerton, Wisconsin. She kept a scrapbook from those years, filled with school memories, sporting events, football games, friends, and tea parties. She did well in science and carried a love of learning with her for the rest of her life.

One childhood memory stayed with Doris always. Near the end of World War II, her father told the family to get ready for church to give thanks that the war was over and that his brothers would be coming home from Germany and the Pacific islands. It was a moment of faith, family, and gratitude, and those values stayed close to Doris’s heart.

From a Wisconsin dairy farm and apple orchard grew a family that would span four generations, a legacy Doris cherished above all else.

On March 26, 1955, Doris wed Charles Raila, the love of her life. Their romance began at a local skating rink, and though they didn't exchange numbers initially, Charles was determined to find her. He tracked down her contact details using only her name and even visited her family farm in Edgerton to leave his number with her father while she was away. This persistence led to a phone call and a long marriage defined by hard work, devotion, and deep love. After living in various locations throughout the United States, they eventually settled in Florida.

When the family moved to San Francisco, Doris' daughter Linda recalls cutting her own bangs nearly to her hairline. For the journey, she brought three girl dolls to accompany her parents in the front seat, while Linda herself spent much of the trip napping between them. During the drive, Linda joined Delbert and Lorie in singing Al Jolson's well-known song, "California, Here I Come!," creating their own special family version.

The family’s move to Florida was tied to Charles’s work as an engineer for Martin Marietta, now known as Lockheed Martin. He later became a contractor on a major communications dish installation project that helped the television networks ABC, NBC, and CBS live-feed space shuttle launches across the country. Doris was part of that story too. She kept the books for Charles’s business, K&R Contractors, with the same care and skill she brought to all her work.

Doris had a sharp mind and a gift for numbers. She worked as a bookkeeper and assistant in finance for the Orlando Science Center until her retirement. Some of her grandchildren have fond memories of volunteering at the Orlando Science Center each summer. Even after retirement, she kept up with every new version of QuickBooks. She used calculators, computers, and bookkeeping tools through the end of her life.

She also served her residential community as its volunteer bookkeeper for more than 20 years. She was the kind of person who paid attention. She remembered details. She learned new things. She kept things organized. She helped quietly, without needing praise. Doris truly delighted in playing bingo! This enthusiasm has been embraced by subsequent generations, ensuring that this cherished tradition will endure.

Doris loved the Lord from the time she was a young girl. Her faith was part of who she was, not only in church, but in the way she lived. She was kind, steady, thankful, and willing to help. In her later years of life, she was a member of Reformation Lutheran Church, where Reverend Lois Ann Sorensen served.

Doris also cared about the world around her. She helped establish early recycling efforts in the Apopka and greater Orlando area, long before recycling was a normal part of everyday life. She took pride in helping create something that would care for the environment and future generations. She also loved telling how strict those early recycling rules were, even down to removing labels from cans before putting them in the bin.

Doris made life warm in the small ways people remember most.

She could sew and knit almost anything: blankets, sweaters, and even tiny clothes for her grandchildren’s American Girl dolls. She read novels, worked puzzles, and did the crossword in the newspaper. She loved the comics and would cut out a funny strip and mail it to someone she thought would enjoy it. It was such a Doris thing to do: simple, thoughtful, and full of quiet humor.

She loved plants, flowers, birds, cats, and dogs, especially dachshunds. Her home and yard were cared for with the same steady attention she gave to everything else. She was also a member of her local Red Hat Society and enjoyed gathering with her Red Hat Society friends. Her love of tea showed up early in her high school scrapbook and later in a few special tea outings she shared with family.

To her family, Doris was best known as Grandma or Wawa. She was a listener, a safe place, and someone you could count on. She did not need to be the loudest person in the room. Her gift was steadiness. She made people feel seen, heard, and loved.

Her grandchildren remember summers at Grandma’s house, homemade pancakes in the kitchen, her special hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, and always something sweet nearby. Playing office/business in the auxiliary building at the house in Apopka. Playing Monopoly, Kerplunk, Candyland and card games. Riding Grandpa’s motorcycle down the dirt road. Grandma would play The Sound of Music again and again. Because of Grandma, many of them still know the songs by heart. It is one of those family memories that turns a movie into a piece of childhood.

From her entire family to her friends, it was known that Doris had quite a sweet tooth. Cookies, brownies, pie, or a small treat after a meal were part of the joy of being with her. That love of sweet treats carried on through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A year before her passing, Doris was asked, “What is the best party or event in your 90 years that you have ever attended?” Her answer was simple. She said the best party of 2024 was her 90th birthday party because so many family members were there. She added that over the years, family gatherings and reunions would always top the list. That was Doris. Family was her greatest joy.

Doris was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Raila, whose unexpected passing in 1999 was one of the great sorrows of her life. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Alma Larson; her brother-in-law, Don Keehn; and her daughter-in-law, Susan Raila.

She is survived by her sister, Ruth Keehn. Doris and Ruth shared a lifelong bond that began in Wisconsin and lasted more than nine decades. As Doris’s health declined, Ruth was able to speak with her by phone and say goodbye, a tender reminder of the love between two sisters.

Doris is also survived by her three children: Lorie Jean Raila Adams and her husband, Wayne; Linda Marie Hall; and Delbert Charles Raila and his wife, Pam.

She leaves behind her grandchildren: Maria Raila; Angela Leiby; Jody Adams; Kristina “Krissy” Sanchez and her husband, Eddie; Autum Troje and her husband, Gerad; Maranda Decker and her husband, Matt; Sahara Hill and her husband, Jeff; Clinton Hall and his wife, Jessica; Charles D. Raila; Derick Huttel-Raila and his wife Jordan; and Athena Raila and her partner, Josh Kinsey.

She also leaves behind her great-grandchildren: Luke Smith, Nicholas Murphy, Alexander Murphy, Aspen Leiby, Breanna Smith, Ireland Leiby, Gemma Troje, Scarlett Troje, Gavin Decker, Rosalie Hill, Gwen Decker, Walker Hill, and Jade Hall.

Doris is lovingly remembered by Ruth and Don Keehn’s family: Rodney Keehn and his wife, Carmen; Lisa Winzenz and her husband, Jay; and their daughters, Emily and Olivia Winzenz. Doris loved them dearly, and they remained an important part of her heart and family story.

Doris’s life will be remembered in the meals she made, the books she balanced, the flowers she tended, the stitches she sewed, the comics she mailed, the songs her grandchildren still remember, and the quiet ways she showed up when someone needed her.

She was someone to count on.

Her love will carry forward through every generation that calls her Mom, Grandma, Wawa, Sister, Aunt, and Friend.

Service Information

Services will be held Friday, July 3, 2026, at Woodlawn Cemetery, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, Florida 34734.

Public Viewing: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Funeral Service: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Graveside service and catered refreshments to follow.

The family extends heartfelt appreciation to Vicar Grant from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Oviedo for his presence and care.

Memorial Donations

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Good Shepherd Hospice in memory of Doris Raila, with gifts designated for Lakeland, Florida.

https://www.chaptershealth.org/chapters-health-foundation/personal-giving/

Checks may be made payable to Chapters Health Foundation and mailed to:

Chapters Health Foundation

12470 Telecom Drive

Suite 301

Temple Terrace, FL 33637

Please note: “In memory of Doris Raila — Good Shepherd Hospice, Lakeland, FL.”