Raymond Roger PERDUE

1940 - 2024

Raymond Roger Perdue of Chewelah, Washington, passed away May 8, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona. Raymond was born July 17, 1940, in Roseburg, Oregon. His parents, Ray Earl and Pearl Edna (Stone) Perdue moved the family to Portland, Oregon, during WWII so Pearl could work in the shipyards while Ray was stationed in Alaska.

As a young man Raymond was always busy. He was on the wrestling team at school, attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and in high school worked at a local hardware store. It was there that he met his future wife, Jeanne Beck, when he helped her with a purchase. Their second date was to a homecoming football game which fell on Jeanne's 16th birthday. Raymond and Jeanne were married December 23, 1961, and celebrated 62 years of marriage on their last anniversary. Raymond joined the Air Force right after graduating from David Douglas High School in 1958 and served for eight years. He went to Portland State College on the G.I. Bill and was hired by ALCOA in Vancouver, WA. In 1977, he was transferred from Vancouver to Northwest Alloys in Addy, WA. He retired from ALCOA in 1999. A year later he was hired by Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane where he worked for another 10 years before finally retiring for good.

Ray was always up for an adventure, and he and Jeanne loved to travel. They started with a tent, then bought a camper and finally purchased a 5th wheel trailer when Ray retired. They pulled the 5th wheel across the USA several times visiting friends and family, zip-lined in Costa Rica, and enjoyed several European cruises. One of Ray's greatest pleasures was treating his family to vacations in Alaska, Hawaii, and Europe. Ray looked forward to golfing, skiing, hunting, and fishing outings with his many friends and he always had a "project" going in the workshop. During his lifetime, he restored many sports cars and boats, and his latest project was a vintage 70's-era pleasure cruiser.

For the last 19 years of his life, he was suffering with cancer, but he never let it slow him down and faced every day with a smile and positive outlook. As a family, we feel we can sum up his life motto as "Family, Friends, and Fun".

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Pearl. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; children, Raylene Sheryl Skok (Steve), and Ty Allen Perdue; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind one brother, Richard Melvin Perdue, of Canyonville, OR.

Per Raymond's wishes, there will be no memorial service. However, there will be an informal celebration of life Sunday, July 28, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., on the patio at the Mistequa Casino Hotel.