Rayburn Willard Fladeboe

Ray Fladeboe, automotive pioneer and founder of the Fladeboe Automotive Group, died November 27th as a result of heart complications. He was 85. Funeral services will be Saturday, December 4, at South Shores Church in Monarch Beach, CA and at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 11, at Eagle Lake Lutheran Church in Willmar, MN. Interment will be at Eagle Lake Lutheran Church in Willmar, MN. Military Honors will be provided by American Legion Post 167 of Willmar, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at Eagle Lake Lutheran Church. Local arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar, MN. In lieu of flowers, donations will be graciously received by the American Diabetes Association, The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs Memorial Fund (AOCDS) or Ealge Lake Lutheran Church. Ray was born on Jan. 2, 1925, in Willmar, the son of Siguard and Ragna (Erickson) Fladeboe. He grew up and received his education in the Willmar community. World War II service in the U.S. Marine Corps brought him to Southern California in 1943, while serving in the Marine Fleet Air. He was honorably discharged in 1946. While working at Bank of America specializing in loans for automobile dealers, he discovered his lifelong passion: automobiles. As a car salesman, Ray was recognized as Lincoln-Mercury’s top national salesman in both 1955 and 1956. In 1961, Ray opened his own Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Bellflower, Calif. The success of his own auto corporation quickly grew to multiple dealerships in Orange County, Calif., including Fladeboe Honda, Fladeboe Volkswagen and Fladeboe Buick-GM. Today, Fladeboe’s business and his legacy continue as a family-owned business with more than 200 employees. Ray Fladeboe touched the lives of many people, and he was consistently recognized and honored for his service to his country, his pioneering role in the automotive industry and for his plentiful contributions to his community. He is survived by three daughters, Candice (Eric) Kaltenbach of Orange County, Denice (Brian) Fladeboe Mock of Orange County, and Renae (Dave) Fladeboe Wilkinson of Orange County; one son, Bruce Fladeboe of Midland, Mich.; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, besides other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Eunice and Pearl; and two brothers, Glen and Sherman.