Raymond Paul Juhl

Raymond Paul Juhl, 87, of Bakersfield, CA, passed away on September 5th at home with his

wife, daughter Kim, and son-in-law Tim by his side.

Ray was born on January 24, 1938, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Robert and Grace (Hill) Juhl. He

graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 1956, the University of Northern Iowa in 1962 with a

Bachelor's degree, and earned a Master's degree at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in 1971.

In 1965, Ray transferred to open West High School from Foothill High School, which he had

opened in 1962. He was hired as a Drafting teacher, Wrestling coach, and Driver's

Education/Driver's Training teacher. From 1965 to 1977, he served as head wrestling coach at

West High School. He coached and organized the Kern County/Orange County High School

duals. His teams won the South Sequoia League Championship in 1966 and 1967, the Dual

Meet Championship (6–0), and the South Sequoia League Tournament Championship. In 1973,

his team won the South Yosemite League Championship; in 1974, they again won the Dual

Meet Championship (6–0). In 1975, they were Co-Dual Meet Champions with Highland High

School (10–2). In 1979, Ray served as the AAU Cultural Exchange Coach to Germany. He was

also a former President of the Coyote Club Amateur Wrestling and helped start the Kern County

Wrestling Association. At the time of his passing, he was serving on the Board of Directors of

the Foothill High School Foundation and was a founding member.

Ray was nominated for and awarded two Beautiful Bakersfield Awards. In 1992, he was

honored in the Commercial/Landscaping category for his work on the landscaping of the

Vietnam Memorial on Truxtun Avenue and the Bakersfield College baseball field. In 2000, he

received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Education. He was named Foothill High

School Teacher of the Year for 1998–99 and was awarded the National Career Academy

Coalition's prestigious Exemplary Academy Teacher of the Year Award in Sarasota, Florida, in

1999. Ray was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012, the Foothill Hall of

Fame in 2014, and the West High Hall of Fame in 2020.

Coach Juhl enjoyed his many travels in his motorhome with his wife and attending wrestling

events across several states. He and Paulette took yearly trips with his brothers and their wives

to different states, as well as memorable trips to the Midwest and East Coast. He especially

enjoyed fishing with great friends. He loved his cabin at Balance Rock, where he was

humorously named "Mayor of Balance Rock." He lived there for several years until health

problems brought him back to Bakersfield. His favorite cruise was taken in 2019 to Italy and

Greece with his wife, daughter Kim, son-in-law Tim, and grandchildren Zach and Sofia.

Ray is survived by his wife, Anna Paulette; daughters and their spouses, Kimberly (Tim)

Fulenwider, Shelley (Christopher) O'Brien, and Shannon Shoemake; and grandchildren Sofia

and Zachary Fulenwider, Hayden and Connor O'Brien.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Dick, Don, and Ron; his grandson

Gregory Shoemake; and his beloved pets Lulu and Posey.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to all of Ray's former wrestlers, students, and

friends who visited him throughout his illness. The stories and memories you shared brought

him laughter and joy. A special "thank you" goes to our daughter Kim and her family for all the

support you gave to your Papa (Dad) over the years. Thank you as well to our Wednesday night

dinner group for the encouragement and companionship you gave him-he looked forward to

those evenings and loved each of you dearly.

We would also like to thank the nurses at Memorial Hospital for their excellent care and

dedication. A very special thank you to Dr. Manuel Manrique, whose kindness and

understanding brought comfort to our family, and who guided us with patience during this

difficult journey. We are also deeply grateful to the nurses from Hoffman Hospice, who were very

kind and supported us with compassion, providing comfort and care in Ray's final days.

A Celebration of Life will be held on November 8, 2025, at the Elk's Club, 1616 30th Street, from

11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of these organizations:

Coyote Club Amateur Wrestling, 5417 Brigadoon Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93312

The Cat People, P.O. Box 13610, Bakersfield, CA 93389

SPCA, 3000 Gibson St, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Hoffmann Hospice, 4325 Buena Vista Rd., Bldg. A, Bakersfield, CA 93311