Born to Guillermo and Mary Benitez on May 22, 1941 of Rocklin, Raymond passed on February 20, 2021 from complications due to Covid-19. Raymond was known to everybody as “Poncho”. He is survived by family members Betty, Herman, Marietta, Juanita, Joaquin, Linda and Billy as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins from the local community. He was a member of Rocklin Elementary’s Class of 1956 and graduated from Roseville High School in 1960.
Poncho was a life-long resident of his beloved city of Rocklin, he was a member of the Rocklin Volunteer Fire Department and was very proud to serve the community. As a young man Poncho worked at Tardy’s Rocklin Market as well as on their ranch here in Rocklin. Raymond worked for several years as a sanitation engineer, riding on the back of the garbage truck picking up cans throughout town. Later in life he could be found regularly helping out at Gayaldo’s White Spot Laundromat for many years.
He was an avid fisherman, loved to raise his birds and as well as working in his garden. Poncho was a fixture in the community and could be seen at all events held in the area from the Rocklin Jubilee to Hot Chili and Cool Cars, if something was happening in town Poncho was there. He loved to ride his bike around town and keeping up on all the things going on so he could spread the word. He could regularly be seen at Tri City Little League watching games with his brother Billy or chatting it up with anybody he met along the way from Barber Bill’s to the Granite Rock Grill to the Quarry Park. Poncho was truly a part of the fabric of Old Rocklin and will surely be missed by all that have known him throughout the years.
Funeral services for Raymond will be held at Rocklin cemetery on Monday, March 8th @ 1pm
Followed by a celebration of life at Rocklin Quarry Park Amphitheater @3pm
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