Lyndon Ray

1965 - 2025

Lyndon Ray

August 22, 1965 - October 17, 2025

Lyndon Ray, 60, of Merrill, Iowa, died unexpectedly on Friday, October 17, 2025, at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars.

Celebration of Life Service will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. Pastor Berth Lundula from the Merrill United Methodist Church will officiate. Private family burial will be at Plymouth Presbyterian Cemetery, rural Le Mars, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars.

Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.mauerjohnsonfh.com. In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials can be made to Wet-Nose Rescue in Le Mars and Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa.

Lyndon Sherman Ray, the son of Maynard and Betty (Schertz) Ray, was born on August 22, 1965, in Ames, Iowa. He attended school in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1984. He furthered his education at Iowa State University where he graduated in 1988 with a BA in Science and Humanities. Following college, he went to work in the food industry in Ames.

He was united in marriage to Catherine Pelelo on July 14, 1990, in Ames, Iowa. They made their home in Ames a few years before moving near Le Mars in 1993. Lyndon continued in the food industry until going to work for Gateway in North Sioux City, S.D. Later, he went to work in operations at Wells Dairy in Le Mars. He had been with them for the past 26 years. He was a member of the Merrill United Methodist Church. Lyndon was a rabid fan of the Iowa States Cyclones and especially enjoyed going to home football games. He also liked the Minnesota Vikings and the Twins.

He frequently volunteered at Wet Nose Pet Rescue in Le Mars because he loved animals, and enjoyed spoiling his four large dogs, often cooking a meal for them, after cooking for Cathi, but before cooking for the kids. He loved to cook and was good at it. It was one of his many love languages. He was in charge of cooking for family gatherings and always put out a great spread, as he took great joy in it. He frequented the local library, always having a book nearby, and also enjoyed his vegetable and flower gardens, although he was a reluctant weeder. He despised Earth Day, as he believed every day should be treated as Earth Day. He regularly went out of his way to pick up trash and was excited to see all the new trees he had planted this spring grow.

Most notable about Lyndon was his sense of humor, which he once said was largely influenced by Monty Python and Looney Tunes, and often quoted The Princess Bride. He was always ready with a laugh and was very talented at tricking people with his seriousness before saying something silly or offbeat and then bursting into laughter. His family have hundreds of old jokes and gags to remember him by. One running joke was how they were going to bury him; starting with a shallow grave, then burying in a kitty litter bag, and when he was particularly mischievous, a used kitty litter bag. Lyndon was ornery enough that his family said he might come back to haunt them "just to be a pain in our patootie". We finally realized, and he agreed, the best solution was to throw him in a volcano to make sure he was really dead. We guess cremation is close. He was an out-law, which is what the Pelelo in-laws call themselves. A paperwork error once led to him being labeled Leroy Pelelo, who his mother-in-law, Lila Pelelo, always joked was her favorite son, and said if Lyn divorced Cathi, Lila would choose him.

He was a guy who knew how to show love, whether it was through food, jokes, physical affection, or his thoughtfulness. He loved to spoil his wife with foot massages and flowers, recognized quickly when she was in a bad mood, and would go out of his way unprompted to cheer her up. His sister-in-law, Mary Laroco, often said he repaired her faith in men and used him as an example of how a husband and father should act. He loved his kids fiercely and was adored as a grandfather and uncle.

Survivors include his wife, Cathi of Merrill, Iowa; his children: Nicholas (Gaby Cross-Lopez) Cross of Tiajuana, Mexico, and children, Radha, Darien, and Brayden; Hazel Ray (Jesse Daniels) of Seattle, Wash., and her son, Elan; Abi Pelelo-Ray (Jon Sneddon) of Marshalltown, Iowa; and Rose Pelelo-Ray (Parker Bonnett) of Omaha, Neb.; a brother, Bryan (Pam) Ray of Ames, Iowa; his in-laws: Mary Laroco of Hawarden, Iowa, Mike (Diann) Pelelo of Sioux City, Iowa, Steve (Jonnie Moon) Pelelo of Colorado Springs, Colo., Matt Ottinger of Vermont and Ann Pelelo of Dubuque, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Maynard and Betty Ray; his father and mother-in-law, Alex and Lila Pelelo; and his in-laws, Margaret Ottinger, Sarajane Winchester, and Bob Pelelo.