Raymond Luna Diaz

1934 - 2022

April 24, 1934 - September 29, 2022 Raymond Luna Diaz was born at L.A. County Hospital on Tuesday, April 24, 1934 to proud parents Luz Navarro Diaz & Jesús "Jessie" Diaz. His childhood years were spent living in the company town of Simons, California. He attended St. Benedict's School & Montebello High School. At age 21, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, & proudly served our country from 1955 to 1957. He was honorably discharged & returned home to marry his sweetheart, Maria A. Marquez. They started a family in 1958 and lived in the Bunker Hill area of L.A. The family eventually grew to four children, three daughters & a son, and they settled in East L.A. Ray was a longtime employee (20+ years) of Uniroyal Tire Company in Commerce, working there until the plant closed in 1978. He went on to work for Diesel Recon in Santa Fe Springs for another two decades. He retired from there with a company celebration and commemorative watch. After that, he enjoyed semi-retirement, working part-time as a security guard for Bristol Farms Market in South Pasadena. He had a great sense of humor & loved to joke & laugh with anyone who would take time to stop & talk with him. Ray was an avid baseball fan. He was a big fan of the Cleveland Indians, only switching his allegiance in 1958 when Major League Baseball & the Dodgers arrived in his hometown of L.A. He truly bled Dodger Blue & instilled in his children a passion & love for baseball & the Dodgers. He left us on September 29, at the age of 88, to rejoin our mother Maria, in Heaven.
He touched many people & lives during his time here. He was highly respected by many, from company executives to homeless people. Many remember him for his generosity & his undying willingness to help others in need. He is dearly missed & remembered fondly by many. It is our honor to do this for our father. We could not have chosen a better man for that huge job. God blessed us with the greatest father.