RAYMOND CASADAY

Raymond Earl Casaday 1920 ~ 2011 Raymond Earl Casaday, husband, father, grandfather, great-grand-father and friend, left his loved ones on May 27, 2011 surrounded by family. Ray was born on November 24, 1920 in Castle Gate, Utah to William Everton and Mary Babcock Casaday. He was the eighth child with seven sisters and one brother. His father was killed in an accident when Ray was two years old and his family moved to Price, Utah where he grew up. His parents, sisters and brother all preceded him in death. At the onset of World War II, Ray enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in the Pacific. He received numerous medals for bravery and heroism including the Purple Heart for wounds received in the Battle of Tarawa. It is believed that Ray is the last survivor of the initial invasion of Tarawa. Ray graduated with a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. He was the first veteran to enter BYU under Public Law 16 for disabled veterans. Ray retired from Packaging Corporation of America as a sales manager. Ray met and married Marva Johnson and had one son, Patrick. They later divorced. He married Ellen Clark who had one daughter, Nancy. Together they had two sons Kelly Clark and Kerry Michael. They were later sealed as a family in the Salt Lake Temple. The family loved boating, especially at Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge and Scofield. They later built a cabin at Scofield. Ray and Ellen loved to travel throughout the 50 states, Europe and Japan. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many positions. He served more than 20 years in the Jordan River Temple. He was always known as a man of honesty and integrity and instilled these principles in his children. Ray is survived by his wife Ellen, sons Patrick Raymond Casaday (Adele), Kelly Clark Casaday (Ann), Kerry Michael Casaday (Kimberlee) and daughter Nancy Frandsen. He was blessed with 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the VA Hospital's doctors, nurses and staff also the staff of Rocky Mountain Hospice, especially Joshua and Lynn. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 12:00 noon at the Cottonwood Creek Ward, 1250 East 4800 South, Salt Lake City, Utah with visitation from 10 - 11:45 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will include full military honors at the Midvale City Cemetery. Online condolences www.jenkins-soffe.com