Raymond John Stattel, an accomplished engineer, lifelong learner, husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died on September 5, 2026 at the age of 97. He was predeceased by his wife, Henrietta, as well as his brother, Robert. He is survived by his children Robert (Mary), Richard (Linda), Ronald (Elma), Theresa, Randy (Curry), Maria (Peter), and Roger (Lynn), as well as three siblings, Eileen, Joan, and Ronald (Lorraine); 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Matthias the Apostle in Lanham, MD, on September 16 at 11:00 a.m., followed by burial at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton, MD.
Ray grew up on Long Island, where an early fascination with how things worked led to a remarkable career in engineering. His work took him from the nation’s early atomic weapons testing efforts to NASA’s sounding rocket program, where he helped advance telemetry technology. His many hobbies included model railroading, winemaking, marquetry, and sailing—or, more precisely, working on the boat. He was forever tinkering, redesigning, and amassing an ever-growing collection of tools, parts, materials, and things that might someday prove useful. Underneath it all was an irrepressible optimism: there was always another project ahead, another solution to try, and, even at 97, every reason to believe he’d soon be driving again.
Ray had a profound sense of duty and commitment to his family. When Henrietta became seriously ill, he stayed by her side and accepted sacrifices in a career that meant so much to him.
Ray will be remembered for his intelligence, ingenuity, fierce independence, Catholic faith, and enduring curiosity about the world around him.
