Raymond Riggan Jr.

Raymond Riggan Obituary

RAYMOND B. RIGGAN, Jr.- MELBOURNE - Raymond B. Riggan, Jr. passed away peacefully in the presence of his family on Monday, December 1, 2008 at Holmes Regional Medical Center. A 20-year heart transplant, Ray passed away from liver and kidney failure. Born May 15, 1936 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL the only child of Nancy Belle and Raymond Riggan Sr., he graduated from USMA at West Point in 1958 where he was named an All American Lacrosse player. Ray went on to complete Airborne Ranger School and was proud to serve his country in the 101st Airborne Division and 3rd Armed Cav. He is a veteran of Korea and Vietnam. Ray served in several overseas posts, most notably in Nicaragua where he was awarded the countrys highest award, the Rueben Dario. A Mason, member of the VFW and American Legion, Ray also volunteered as Little League umpire, Cub Scout Den "Mother" and assisted coaching the Satellite Beach Lacrosse league. He leaves behind his wife of 48 years, Roberta; and his four children, Raymond (Dolores), Tonda, Cindy (Rich), Shawn (Kris) and seven grandchildren. Interment with military honors will take place at the United States Military Academy, West Point at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Brevard Lacrosse Association, ([email protected]).

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Published by FloridaToday on Dec. 4, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Raymond Riggan

6 Entries

Joe Shea

December 17, 2008

Bobbi and family,
Ray was a great soldier and man. Our sincere condolences.
He made wonderful memories for all who knew him.
'Til we all meet again at the great 58 reunion in the sky.
He was blessed by everyone in his family.
RIP, especially at West Point. God Bless.

Chuck Densford

December 12, 2008

Ray Riggan was a fine man, and a good soldier, and a West Point classmate we shall all miss. Well done, Ray, be thou at peace.

Sterling Wayne Wyatt

December 12, 2008

Ray,
About that quill you got for "unfolded underwear" when we roomed together, well I was in a bit of a hurry that morning so I did a 1-minute fold drill and got one stack a bit mussed up, then at the last minute, I got the stacks mixed up and you got the demerits while I skipped a day. You're not going to sit on me again, are you? I'll swap clouds with you later - OK?
I always loved you, you clod!
Wayne
'58 B-2 too!

John Bradley

December 11, 2008

RIP Ray. You were a great credit to B-2, the 2nd Regiment, and our class. God Bless.

Paul Schonberger

December 11, 2008

Bobbie and Family: I am grieved to receive news today of R.B.'s passing. Please accept my sincere condolences. I last saw R.B. at the Richmond VA Hospital when he was hooked up to a crash cart while awaiting his heart transplant. His courage and cheerfulness were remarkable in view of his grave condition. We had a grand time
telling stories and reminiscing
about our younger days. Besides his participation as an usher in my wedding in February,1959, we were 5 times classmates. We were both members of the Class of 1954 at Curtis High School on Staten Island, NY, although he had left after freshman year,before my
arrival at my mother's alma mater in my sophomore year. We shared many friends from Curtis,as we later learned during
cadet days where we were both members of the Great Class of
1958 and Ray roomed with my brother, Dick, for most of the four
years. Ray and I both chose the Armor Branch and shared a BOQ
suite during our course at the Armor School at Fort Knox.
Then, of course, we were classmates at the Infantry School
at Fort Benning for the Ranger and Airborne courses. Ray shared a hut with my brother and me during the Mountain phase of the Ranger course and
Ray was a ray of sunshine with his unfailing good humor during
a most stressful time. His generosity of spirit was memorable as he unfailingly offered to share the heaviest weapons and loads on those arduous mountain patrols. He was a bull of a man when it was
necessary. I vividly recall sitting
with Ray atop a frigid mountain top in North Georgia in late December, in the middle of a frosty night, monitoring a PRC-10
back pack radio which weighed,at that point, at least 500 pounds.
We had shared the pleasure of toting the damn thing up and down snowy Appalachian peaks
and monitoring the channels for
urgent messages. When we reached the top of one nameless ridge, we were given a
rest (hah) break. We retuned the radio and suddenly were
receiving police calls from the LAPD. The atmospherics were such that a skipwave had bounced their short range calls
all the way across the country.
R.B. was enthralled and came to life. I just felt like dying. R.B.'s
enthusiasm was contagious. We
listened to those calls until the word was passed to continue the
march. I'll never forget his wondrous awe at being the recipient of those magical radio
waves!
After Ranger training and a break for Xmas in 1958, we reported back to Fort Benning for
the Airborne course. It was a piece of cake after Ranger training. R.B.and I shared a good many steaks at the Black Angus during our month-long training. While there, I prevailed on him to be a groomsman at my wedding on February 7,1959. I urged him to stay with brother Dick at my company-mate,Dick McPeek's in Allendale, NJ for the night before the wedding, but he had a prior
comitment with his beloved Bobbie in NY. He did arrive at the church in time, but out of uniform! In his haste to get to the church from NYC, he forgot
to trim his Dress Blues with appropriate insignia, and he was oblivious to the fact that his lapels were naked; a cardinal sin for a newly minted Academy graduate! We hastily scrounged up a set of lapel brass, but I never let him live it down!
Bobbie, you may recall our visits in Germany when you and R.B. crashed at our place when you took leave from Regensburg.
I'll always recall our late night stroll through the housing area
at Patch Barracks after too much
good food and drink, and R.B.'s
midnight story telling. He was one of a kind and I treasure his memory.
I will be at West Point for the final act and we will celebrate his life together at his spiritual home.
With fondest best wishes to you and family at this sad time,
PaulSchonberger