Raymond Bodiford

Raymond Bodiford died on the morning of May 18, 2018 in his own home with his family. He was born in Miami, Florida and was raised in Kendall. From a very young age he was interested in politics. In the 1968 student election he passionately supported Robert F. Kennedy. He never lost a love for justice and always knew that he wanted to become a lawyer. He loved British and American history, rock music such as The Beatles, Elton John, and The Rolling Stones, and football, especially the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Gators. He graduated from the University of Miami in Political Science and earned his law degree at the University of Florida. He had fond memories of his time in graduate school. He worked first for the Public Defender in Key West. Then he moved to Orlando and worked for Sam Murrell. It was at the Orange County Public Library in downtown Orlando that he met his future wife Heather, who was working as a librarian. They wedded in October of 1990. In 1991, they had their first son Andrew. Then, in 1996 their second son Brett was born. Raymond always loved to travel and frequently visited Lake Tahoe. He also traveled often to Europe and Costa Rica. Raymond practiced law for over 35 years and would eventually open his own law firm, The Bodiford Law Group, in downtown Orlando. His career was his pride and joy and his work improved the lives of countless people. Raymond Bodiford gained a reputation of serving his clients first and always working for the greater good. He is survived by his wife Heather and his two sons Andrew and Brett, who are 26 and 22. He is also survived by cousins Becky, Bobby, and Michael Granato, and Vicki Wolin. His son Andrew is now studying Law and his son Brett is studying History in college. Raymond Bodiford's funeral service will be held at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando on May 25 at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, Ray's family requests that donations be made to the American Heart Association in Ray's memory.