Ray Keith Lemons

Ray Keith Lemons passed away in the early morning hours of January 6, 2026, in his home with his wife Linda by his side. His Lord and Savior called him to his eternal home.

He was born on December 26, 1940, on a mountain near Nucla, Colorado. He was the youngest of ten children of Lola Effie Lemons and Emmett Orin Lemons. They lived near Nucla until he was about 5 years old and his dad got a job with the railroad and they started back to Oklahoma and on the way back they spent some time in Gallup, New Mexico where they lived in a sleeper railroad car, he enjoyed telling about that adventure.

Upon returning to Oklahoma, he attended school at Millwood which was a one room school at that time, and he was the youngest student and the teacher would let him take naps. He attended various schools in the Oklahoma City area and graduated from Capitol High School High School in 1959. While attending high school he was taught the printing trade which he worked at several places including International Crystal where he ran the print shop. One day on his way home from work he noticed a sign in front of a fire station that the Oklahoma City Fire Department was hiring so he decided to apply and was accepted. That began a 33-year career that he enjoyed and as he often said was the best decision he ever made.

While he was working at International Crystal, he met his wife Linda and they shared 58 years of love, laughter, good times, many adventures and wonderful memories too numerous to count. Upon retiring January 2000, the adventure of traveling in an RV began but as more time spent in Colorado, where the mountains were calling to Ray. The decision was made to move to Colorado full-time. The time spent there was wonderful and Ray made another great decision when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at the age of 60. He was baptized at Temple Baptist Church Salida, Colorado. His Baptism was memorable because someone forgot to turn the heater on the water which came out of the Arkansas river and it was April snow melt. Pastor Adkins told Ray he could wait until the next week, but Ray's comment was that he had waited long enough and was ready.

He loved being in the mountains and was on top of every mountain that he could with our ATV group where we created wonderful friendships and great memories. In 2021 It was decided that it was time to move back to Oklahoma City and rekindle old friendships and make new memories and new friends with our travel groups. We found a wonderful church family at Brookwood Baptist Church.

Ray will be remembered as a man with a smile on his face most of the time and his easy-going attitude and odd sense of humor. He was a loving son, husband, father, and friend and he is missed greatly, but his heavenly father called him to his eternal home. He maintained a positive attitude till the end of his life on this earth. It is often said to be absent from the body for a Christian is to be in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Death is only a comma to a Christian - not a period.

Ray was proceeded in death by his father Emmett Lemons and mother Lola Effie Lemons, sisters Fay Ivie, Thelma Thomlinson, Lola Mae Tovera, Betty Lemons, June Hawkins, brothers Mancel Bishop, Dale Lemons, Bill Lemons, Don Lemons, and sons David Keith Lemons and Clint Ray Lemons. He leaves behind his wife Linda Lemons, daughter Lora Lemons Babcock of RioVista, CA, daughter in law Kimberly Lemons of Rockvale, CO, sister in law Maggie Lemons of Cortz, CO, granddaughter Valeasha Tomlinson of Bristol, TN, grandson Joey Stevenson of Salida, CO, grandson Kaleb Stevenson of Rockvale, CO, granddaughter Alurra Stevenson of Rockvale, CO, great grandsons Kaden, Dominic, and Easton of Bristol, TN. He also leaves numerous nieces and nephews in the Oklahoma City area as well as across several states.

There will be a celebration of life at a later time at Brookwood Baptist Church - 8921 S. Walker Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73139.