Arthur Raymond Beyer

1913 - 2016

Arthur Raymond (Ray) Beyer of Eugene, Oregon passed into heaven on April 22, 2016 at the age of 103. Ray was born in Billings, Montana to Oscar Paul Beyer and Mary Ella Stamper Beyer on April 17, 1913.

When Ray was young, his family moved to Portland, Oregon where Ray had fond memories of living downtown in the Pine Street Apartments, playing in the Skidmore Fountain, and roller skating past the Multnomah Hotel on his way to school.

During his childhood, Ray traveled with his family to Oklahoma to visit his maternal grandparents. They crossed the sandy desert on the Old Plank Road. The wooden wheels on the car had to be continually watered down as they traveled. Ray remembered his mother singing songs to him that she had learned from the Osage Indians in Oklahoma.

Ray did not meet his paternal grandparents. They had remained in Germany while Ray's father, Oscar, immigrated to the United States, as a teenager, in the 1890's.

Eventually, Ray and his parents moved to their home on SW Virginia Street in Portland. There Ray enjoyed swimming out to Ross Island in the Willamette River. He graduated from Portland's Benson Polytechnic in 1932. Ray spent some time working in logging camps, working for the railroad, and running a linseed oil mill with his father. In 1948, Ray began his career as an electrician at Weyerhaeuser in Springfield, Oregon.

On August 9, 1953, Ray married Ethel Inez Gordon in Tampa, Florida. They had two daughters, Marsha and Linda. The family enjoyed roller skating, snow skiing, camping, and many trips across the country by airplane and automobile. Every other summer they visited Ethel's side of the family in Florida and Georgia. While traveling, they took in many "sites of interest" along the way and tried never to take the same route twice.

In 1978, Ray retired from Weyerhaeuser. In retirement, Ray and Ethel continued to enjoy traveling and camping, but they especially enjoyed spending time with their six beloved grandchildren. Ethel sewed clothes for her family, quilts, and Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. Ray roller skated and bicycled into his nineties. He had a basement full of gadgets and contraptions for his grandchild to play with. Ray loved to dance on roller skates with his daughters and grandchildren. He traveled most places with his checkerboard and was always ready for a game. If he didn't have his checkerboard, a few scraps of paper would be used to play "The Old South American" game.

Ray was pre-deceased by his dear wife, Ethel, on February 15, 2003. He is survived by his daughters: Marsha Beyer Lind (and husband Richard) of Spreckels, CA; and Linda Beyer Schor (and husband Timothy) of Eugene, OR. Ray is also survived by his six grandchildren: Jennifer Lind of Salinas, CA; Kristen Lind Oliver (and husband Raymond) of Houston, TX. Michael Schor (and wife Kimberly Stevens Schor) of Eugene, OR; Jeffrey Lind of Spreckels, CA; Krista Schor of Eugene, OR; and Alexander Schor of Eugene, OR. Additionally, Ray is survived by his great-grandson: Colton Oliver of Houston, TX.

Service 11am, Tuesday, April 26th at Rest-Haven Cemetery Chapel. Please make any memorial donations to Reece's Rainbow or your favorite charity.

Arrangements entrusted to Chapel of Memories Funeral Home at West Lawn. Please access the obituary and you are invited to sign the guestbook at musgroves.com