Raymond Arthur "Ray" Meredith

Raymond A. Meredith, 77, died Wednesday, July 3, 2024. He leaves his wife, Grace (Anello) Meredith; his sister Sharon Kaiser; his brother Dale Meredith (Cathy); his daughter, Kimberly Blackburn (Mark); his sons, Raymond S. Meredith (Julie), Daniel Gibson (Lauren), and Shawn Gibson (Alyssa); seven grandchildren, Matt, Erica, Justin, Adam, Madison, Ariya and Delilah; and one great-grandchild; Beya. Ray was preceded in death by his brothers, Terry and Larry Meredith and his parents, Kenneth and Mary.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, the son of Kenneth and Mary Meredith, Ray was a lifelong resident of Indiana. He served over 30 years as a firefighter and retired as Chief for Perry Township in 2007. Being a first responder was one of Ray's proudest accomplishments. His dedication and love for his profession shined through his personality, from his generous spirit to his devotion to his loved ones.
To the outsider, firefighters are fearless, fighting every natural instinct and charging into normally fatal situations. According to Ray, the definition of courage is being absolutely terrified but doing it anyway and dealing with the emotions after. Fear keeps a firefighter alive, and courage carries them through. For Ray, the rewards far outweighed the risks.
Ray played as hard as he worked, entitled to enjoy his pastime endeavors, as he liked to say. An avid golfer, hunter, fisherman, and a diehard poker player, he enjoyed his hobbies. He also enjoyed spending time with his "babies," two black labrador retrievers named Gibbs and Abby. His adoring love for them holds no bounds.
Ray was never one for sentiment or religiosity, but he wanted you to know that if he owes you a beer and if you can find time in Heaven, he will gladly allow you to buy him another.
In honor of Ray's final wishes, a celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at Wilson St. Pierrie, 5950 E. Thompson Road, Indianapolis, IN 46237. Visitation from 2:00-3:30, with service to follow at 3:30. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations to cancer and dementia charities.
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