Raymond Paul "Ray" Laubsted

Raymond "Ray" Paul Laubsted, 94, of Naperville, IL, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, with his family by his side. Ray was born on November 22, 1929, in Chicago, IL, the son of Paul and Charlotte (Helm) Laubsted. Growing up in Chicago, Ray attended Lane Technical High School, graduating in 1947. He then pursued an associate's degree at Wright Jr. College and later attended The Chicago Lithographic Institute.
In 1951, Ray was drafted into the United States Army. He graduated from the Psychological Warfare Non-Commissioned Officers School and transferred to the Loudspeaker and Leaflet Company at Fort Riley, Kansas, until his discharge in 1953.
In his work life, Ray became a master Lithographer, working his way up from lithographic pressman to Foreman and ultimately Plant Manager at several printing companies in the Chicagoland area. He retired in 1989 after 41 years in the printing business.
Throughout his life, Ray loved to travel; from finding himself in Havana at the start of the Cuban Revolution to Barefoot Windjammer Cruises with his family in St. Martin to walking through the jungle to a volcano in Monserrat. But Ray's greatest travel joy was taking his family; children, and eventually grandchildren to Walt Disney World where he shared his love of rollercoasters.
Ray had a full and happy retirement. He cherished every moment spent with his children and grandchildren, often delighting them with his genealogical discoveries about their family history. Ray had a passion for gardening and crafting salsa. He loved experimenting with new recipes, playing cards, and working with his hands, finding joy in every task. His curiosity was boundless; you could often find him at his computer, diving into new topics and learning something fresh.
In addition to his parents, Ray is preceded in death by his sister Charleen (Laubsted) Lyons.
Ray is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Patricia (Karall) Laubsted; his devoted children, Jim (Dawn) Laubsted of Naperville, IL; Michael (Tracey) Laubsted of Alamo, CA, and Carrie (Tim) Jacobs of Bolingbrook, IL.; his cherished grandchildren: Daniel (Erin) Laubsted, Alicia Laubsted, Ashley (John) Roesler, Matthew Laubsted, Christopher Laubsted, Nicholas Jacobs, and Laura (Christian) Butusov, and great grand-daughter Evelyn Laubsted. Ray also leaves behind many extended family members and dear friends.
The family will be holding a Memorial Visitation on Sunday November 10, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM at Friedrich Jones Funeral Home, 44 S. mill St., Naperville, IL 60540.