Raymond C. Julius

Ray was born at MacNeal Hospital but grew up in the Naperville / Warrenville area during the depression. Ray was a character all his life. At 4 years old you could find him playing military songs on his bugle at the corner of the Naperville High School. This would interrupt the classrooms as the children would all gather at the windows to hear him. They would then beg and bribe him to come back the next day to interrupt class again. This would also serve him well as it became one of his many jobs once he enlisted in the Army later in life, but now he was interrupting his fellow soldier’s sleep.

Ray’s parents and older brother Richard were all involved in the Military in some capacity. Ray’s father Charles was in the cavalry and army in WWI, his mother Cecelia (ne: Doty) was in the women’s auxiliary and many other women’s clubs to serve the men enlisted and his older brother Richard was killed in action at one of the last battles of WWII.

Shortly after losing his brother Richard, his mother would become seriously ill, and they moved back to Cicero to be with family till his mother’s passing.

After two heavy losses, Ray began struggling with High School, so he decided to enlist in the Army himself. First came boot camp, then he was stationed in Korea. In the meantime, his widowed father Charles would remarry to widowed Minnie Valashek (Folkers) who had two adult children of her own, Joan and Donald. Ray would join this newly blended family after being Honorably Discharged. This is when Ray would meet his new Step Siblings and fall in love with his one and only true love JOAN. Yes, his stepsister eventually became his wife.

This is when the entire family would buy their Forever Home on 54th Ct. in Cicero. But they needed more room, so they signed the papers for the second-floor addition and Ray was called back for a second tour in the Army. This time he was only stationed in California.

Upon discharge, Ray would return working at Western Electric as a Truck driver and Dispatcher for the next 38 years. Sometimes having to add in some part-time jobs along the way so Joan could stay home to raise their three children, Donna Rae Cerveny, Dwayne Richard Julius (Tracy) and Debbie Jo Plica (Gary). Ray was never afraid of working long hours or work hard to support his family who meant everything to him. Ray would save up money and vacation time all winter so he could take his children around the United States on vacation for 2 to 4 weeks during the summer. Or parking their used camping trailer (gifted to him by his Aunt Marie Doty) at Devils Lake, Wisconsin for the summer for the family to stay while he returned home to work. Ray’s strong work ethic was later passed down to all his children who also would do whatever it takes to provide a good life for their families as well.

An especially happy time for Ray and Joan was becoming Grandparents. Seeing the family grow was one of their greatest joys. Ray and Joan welcomed 6 grandchildren to the family. Jennie Bauman (Brian), Caroline Cerveny, Alan Julius, Joanna Julius, Jamie Greene (Mark) and Brian Plica. Those grandchildren would bring 10 Great-Grandchildren into the world.

Ray and Joan’s huge love of family and always stepping in to take care of those in need would also extend to helping raise a Granddaughter and her son.

Ray and Joan had purchased property in Arkansas in which they planned to spend their retirement. They spent many hours working to clear the property but most of all would enjoy many hours of fun meeting new people and spending summers with the grandchildren when they visited. They watched the children running, playing, catching lizards and snakes, playing cards, working jig saw puzzles and most of all going to all the thrift stores to see what treasures they could find. Ray loved to drive all over to find just the right item for someone, (especially his wife). It was always a joke in the family, “Don’t tell Grandpa you’re looking for something," as he would drive hundreds of miles to get the right one. No matter if it was a $2.00 item and he just spent $50.00 in gas.

Ray had a passion for driving, from trucks in the Army and Western Electric, to his many station wagons to his lawn tractors and Golf Cart. At 96 Ray would still spend up to 8 hours a day cutting leaves on his property, or driving around looking at what trees Gary and Brian still needed to cut up or cut down.

But Ray’s love for driving and Arkansas was no match to his love and devotion to his wife of 69 years. Whatever Joan saw that she thought she might like, Ray was on the hunt for it. When Joan began having health issues, he was always there making sure she got to every appointment or test. He made endless lists of medications, tracking her blood sugar, lists of all her doctor’s appointments and Hospital stays and all her procedures. When Joan was in the hospital, which was often, he was there right at 9:00am on the dot, the start of visiting hours and stayed till after 9pm. He never wanted Joan to be alone. When Joan became bedridden, he wanted her right by his side, “Because no one will take care of her as good as I will”.

Even though it is hard for us to let him go, Ray has now been reunited with his one true love… his wife Joan, who he has missed dearly for the last 6 years.

A visitation for Ray will be held at Mount Auburn Funeral Home, 4101 South Oak Park Ave, Stickney, IL 60402, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Morning visitation will be held at Mount Auburn Funeral Home, 4101 South Oak Park Ave, Stickney, IL 60402, on Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by the funeral service at Mount Auburn Funeral Home on August 20, 2026, at 11:00 am.

Military Honors will take place at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 4101 S Oak Park Ave, Stickney, IL 60402, US, on August 20, 2026, with burial to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Legion - Cicero Post 96, 5820 W 35th St, Cicero, IL 60804, (872) 346-003, or your local Humane Society.