Richard Dick Reed Cray , July 05, 1929 — November 06, 2018

Richard “Dick” Cray, Age 89, of Chester, Iowa passed away on November 6, 2018 after spending three months at Colonial Manor in Elma, Iowa. Funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at The Chester Community Center in Chester IA, with Pastor Dan Christensen officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.

Burial will take place at the Chester Hill Cemetery in Chester, IA. Richard Reed Cray was born on July 5, 1929 at his parent’s home in Chester, Iowa. He was the only son of Winfield and Kathleen (Reed) Cray.

Richard graduated from the Chester Iowa High School in 1947. He spent the next two and a half years attending Upper Iowa University, and the University of Iowa. On January 3, 1951 Richard joined the U.S. Navy spending boot camp in Waukegan, IL.

He was then transferred to the U.S. Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, VA. There he was a PN3 and worked in the personnel office for three and a half years. He then spent 6 months on the U.S.N.S Marine Carp, at sea.

He then traveled to Thule, Greenland. Richard was united in marriage to Lorraine V. (Prestegard) Cray on June 16, 1951. They had three children Thomas, Randal and Carla.

Richard and Lorraine resided in Norfolk, Virginia until he retired after serving four years in the Navy. They then purchased a grocery store business in River Falls, WI and spent two years there. Richard returned to Chester in 1956 and joined his father’s insurance and Real Estate Agency, he worked there until he retired in 1993 after 37 years.

Richard and his wife Lorraine then purchased a winter home in Mesa, AZ and enjoyed their winters there. Richard loved to work in his yard and flower gardens in his free time. Richard also had a belief that he just might be the best croquet player in the Chester area.

Richard is survived by his wife, Lorraine of Chester, children Thomas (Sheryl) Cray of Chester, Randal (Jan) Cray of Lime Springs and Carla Cray of Chester. Six grandchildren, Matthew Cray, Jacob (Brooke) Cray, Jessica (Landon) Nordby, Caleb Cray, Andrea (Ben) Steffen, Sydney Cray, nineteen great-grandchildren, Calvin, Colton, Isaac, Jazlyn, Braylon, Roan, Evelyn, Elliott and Win. He was preceded in death by his parents Winfield and Kathleen Cray, and his sisters Winnifred Ullom and Kay Reed and brothers in law Percy Ullom, Dallas Reed and Robert Maurer and sister in law Betty Maurer.

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