Former Sandy resident, Ray Houston died on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital at the age of 95.
A funeral service will be held at Sandy Funeral Home on April 9, 2010 at 1:30pm.
Burial will follow at Cliffside Cemetery.
Raymond Ralph Houston was born on October 6, 1914 in Council, Idaho. At the age of 6, his family moved to Oregon. They made their home in Estacada for a short time prior to moving to the Cottrell area. Ray attended Cottrell Grade School and Graduated from Sandy High School in 1934. He worked as a farmer and in the ship yards until November 1942 when he entered the Army Air Corp. He participated in the air offensive against the Empire of Japan and received the Marksmanship Badge, the American Theater Service Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
After Ray’s discharge, he was married to Anna Adams on July 24, 1948 in Gresham. They made their home in Cottrell where he along with his brother worked on a farm. In 1953, the family moved to Sandy where they raised their family and started their raspberry farm. From 1960 to 1980 he worked for the City of Portland Water Bureau and ran his own 60 acre raspberry farm three miles east of Sandy. In 1985, Ray sold the family farm and he and Anna moved to the Kelso area where they made their home. In June 2002, Anna preceded Ray in death. Shortly following Anna’s passing Ray moved into Avamere at Sandy assisted living facility. He lived there until April 2007 when he moved to Vancouver, WA to be closer to his family.
Mr. Houston enjoyed spending time with his family especially his great grandchildren Aubry and Owen McKannay. Other interests included an appreciation for nature, bowling, playing cribbage, bean bag baseball and when he was younger working on the family farm.
Ray is survived by his daughter Carol Garritson of Pendleton, grandson Sean McKannay of Vancouver, Washington and his granddaughter Lisa McKannay of Pendleton.