Raymond Leroy Terrell II

Raymond Leroy Terrell II (R.L., Ray) of Denver, CO left this world on July 4, 2020 at Lutheran Hospital. Known for his infectious smile, exuberant laugh, and huge heart, R.L. was loved deeply and passionately by his wife Kim (Kimmy) Fletcher-Terrell, his sisters Elizabeth (Terrell) Phillips of Fort Collins, CO, Elaine Terrell of Santa Fe, NM, Julie Wood of Virden, IL, Martha (Terrell) Healy of Ann Arbor, MI, his aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, as well as an extensive community of beautiful friends he had gathered purposely ~ yet effortlessly ~ over his lifetime. R.L. was born on January 28, 1971 in Springfield, IL to Raymond L. Terrell (passed in 1999) and Paralee Joan (Roberts) Terrell (passed in 2006). His earliest days were largely spent in Chatham, IL playing with friends in the woods behind the Terrell barn on Ivy Glen Drive. R.L. attended Ball-Chatham schools throughout his early life and was an ever-active member of Scouts (with his mom as his Den Mother) from Cub Scouts to his Eagle Scout Award at age 17. I think we have all benefited from those Eagle Scout skills, as R.L had consequently developed MacGyver-style problem solving skills (making things functional that didn't seem like they should be... like vehicles, often with duct tape). Throughout his life he always enjoyed the outdoors and generously helping others. At Glenwood High School, R.L. was known as a friend to everyone. He could be found skateboarding, listening to music, working at the movie rental shop in Chatham, and instigating or attending a get-together with friends. He graduated from high school in 1989 and attended college at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. While R.L. earned a degree in Architecture, he double majored (unofficially) in "Music Appreciation" as he spent many, many weekends with friends enjoying concerts and music festivals. It was a rare moment at those events when he wasn't dancing. While he enjoyed the beauty of Southern Illinois and his tight-knit group of friends, R.L. had his sights set on Colorado. After graduating from SIU in 1994 he set out for Boulder, Colorado where he had landed his first job as a Professional Architect. Driving a Jeep Wrangler (fitted with a snorkel for crossing streams... "always be prepared"), the Colorado lifestyle suited R.L. perfectly. He enjoyed endless outdoor activities; especially camping, hiking, rock climbing, and snowboarding. It is a testament to R.L.'s natural magnetism that so many of the friends from both Chatham and Carbondale were then drawn to Colorado... and back to R.L. He continued to love music and the festival environment so much that he and his longtime friend Jodee (Fields) Spalding hosted their own annual music festival "The Pinecliffe Hootenanny" at their home in the mountains. It is a known fact that several happy couples today actually met at a Hootenanny weekend. R.L. worked in architecture for many years and felt blessed to work with so many people he respected and loved. He enjoyed his architectural endeavors with Don Ruggles for many years, where he became a Vice President and eventually Partner of the firm. Later in life he worked for himself creating a towing business, and then as a consultant architect. Life changed for R.L. in 2004 when he met Kimberly Kay Fletcher, who quickly became the love of his life. They were married in 2006 at Washington Park in Denver Colorado and lived among friends and neighbors in the Highlands region of Denver. Kim and R.L. enjoyed doing life together. They were equally happy traveling to faraway places as they were cozy-ing up for movies at home with their dogs, Daisey and Dudley; and their cats, Tony and Cleo (and, really, any other dogs, cats or guinea pigs that they happened to be watching for friends). Holidays at the Fletcher-Terrell home were full of food and fun and always, always open to all. Their themed dinners and Halloween parties were legendary. Whenever you walked into their home, you instantly felt like you belonged there, with them, at that very moment. To say that R.L. always had an open door policy would be a gross understatement...his was more of a lifelong open-hearted policy. You could often find R.L. "up at the ranch", a gorgeous 35 acre property he and several friends, including Brenda and Jason Roberts, purchased as a mountain getaway. Being a genuine animal lover and an avid reader, R.L. was particularly at home sitting on the porch at the ranch ~ watching the dogs play or reading a book. R.L. loved his family deeply. He had an extraordinary bond with his mother Joan, and was a true & gentle comfort to her after the death of his father. R.L. enjoyed family time and often created mini reunions with his sisters and their families, as well as his California, Colorado, and Illinois relatives. He is remembered and loved by all of us for his expressive greetings, huge hugs, unconditional love, and genuine interest in our lives. R.L., you were an uplifting light in this world, a generous giver, a loving and nurturing husband, brother, uncle, son, nephew, cousin and friend. Our lives are better because of how you cared for us and our hearts are hurting in your absence. May you live eternally in God's presence and watch over us. We will look forward to an exuberant welcome and the warmest and most sincere hug when we are reunited someday. A memorial will be planned to honor the life of R.L. in the coming months.