Joseph E. Rayas passed away on December 24, 2018. He was surrounded with love by his family, Hospice and staff members from The Springs of Vernon Hills. He is survived by his children Dave (Sue), Dan (Heidi) and Debbie (Kevin) as well as his numerous grandchildren and a great grandchild.
He is also survived by his brother, Jesus (Romana), his nieces and nephews and his many cousins. He has now joined his beloved wife, Anna, who passed away on Oct. 13, 2018.
Joe will be remembered for his good nature, smile and love for life. He and Anna took trips locally and internationally; visiting family and enjoying time together. Joe loved flowers and gave Anna flowers regularly.
After retirement, he took pride grooming his own extensive garden, which included his many fruit trees. His garden was made up of flowers purchased yearly, as well as perennials which Joe and Anna gathered from the gardens of fellow family members, some of whom have already passed. His garden was a “multi-generational garden” which he was very proud of.
Joe and Anna also loved going to zoos, museums, gardens, symphonies, the theatre and, in their younger days, amusement parks, especially Riverview. He loved to dance with Anna to Brazilian and Mariachi music. This is how they met; at a dance hall in Chicago over 63 years ago.
Joe loved sports, especially soccer and football. He was lucky enough to witness the Chicago Bears, Hawks, Bulls, Sox and Cubs win a Championship. He loved sharing everything the city and suburbs have to offer with his immediate family and all who came to visit from out of town and from out of the country.
Joe was also a proud Korean War veteran who flew his flag regularly. He was a proud member of the United States Military family. Joe developed Parkinson’s Disease years ago which worsened over the last couple of years, but he still remained optimistic and made the best out of every day.
His spirit will be missed. Memorial donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation: www. parkinson.org or the Michael J. Fox Foundation: www.
michaeljfox.org. Donations may also be made to Senior Living News Network, a website born out of the struggles and frustrations that Joe and Anna faced as they aged. The website provides visitors a better understanding of the various challenges that the elderly encounter including housing, medical and financial issues, senior fraud and more.
The goal of Senior Living News Network is to provide information and understanding to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. www. seniorlivingnewsnetwork.com Memorial visitation will be January 26, 2019, from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 941 S. Old Rand Rd.
, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Inurnment at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery will be held at a later date.
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