Raymond Sewell Page

Whether you knew him well or not, you could always count on the same greeting from Ray, "Well how ya doin'?". The timbre of his voice rising slightly at the end of the question brought you to share whatever was on your mind. Ray would never rush the conversation and would stay and listen for as long as you wanted to talk. He truly cared about you, he simply stayed with you and always will. Raymond Sewell Page was born on November 24, 1942, to Charlotte Evelyn and Walter Everett Page, Sr., in Fitchburg, MA. He was the last Page to be born to this couple, only slightly behind his twin brother Robert "Bob", his wombmate, as he joked through the years. Ray's stories of childhood shenanigans were ones that would leave you gaping open mouthed and thinking, "there is NO way that can be true", and laughing at the utter hilarity and devilishness of the escapades. It was obvious that he was born with a zest for life. As teens, Ray, his twin brother, Bob, and mother moved West to Portland, OR, where the boys graduated from Madison High School. After high school, Ray fought forest fires and then joined the United States Army, where he served as a radio operator with The 13th United States Army Security Agency Field Station in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, until 1965. After leaving the Army, he remained in England, earning a living in the trades and living what he certainly thought was his best life, playing darts, club soccer, and rugby, where his nickname was The Mad Yank. Upon returning to Portland, he went to work in retail sales for the Sears Roebuck Company, selling sewing machines and vacuums, where he caught sight of the beautiful and charming Mary Kay, coming up the escalator, who, as he described, took his breath away. After a few weeks of relentless, smooth, and persistent pursuit, asking her out, and being repeatedly turned down, she finally said yes to one beer (emphasis as she tells it, on one).....and 49 years later....the rest, as they say, is history. In 1969, Ray married Kay,and the following year their precocious, bright (and humble) only child, Debbie was born. In early 1974, the Page party of three moved to East Wenatchee, WA, where Ray had accepted a transfer to be manager of the appliance department at Sears in the Wenatchee Valley Mall, and quickly settled into small town life and a more personal way of BEing. Never knowing a stranger, Ray's wide grin and hearty laugh, assured he quickly made friends through work and with his neighbors, and it wasn't long before everywhere he went, you could hear someone loudly calling out in greeting, "Hey Ray!" He was instrumental in bringing an organized Youth Soccer Program to the Wenatchee Valley, where he coached for many years and led the referee association for a time. Ray's passion for the valley and the people who live here was evident in his civic activities, with an emphasis on his commitment to youth programs. Through the Eastmont Kiwanis Club, he was introduced to the Builders and Key Club at the Eastmont Junior High and High School, and soon found himself with a LOT of bonus kids. The students were universally drawn to the gregarious, firm but fair man with high expectations for himself and those around him. More than one of his bonus kids through the years has told him what a gift he gave them, because he saw in them what no one else did. Ray was the kind of man who wanted to make a difference, because it was the right thing to do, but didn't need the recognition - and perhaps that contributes to why he was named as Citizen of the Year in East Wenatchee, was recognized as a National Courtesy Award Winner for Sears, and Volunteer of the Year for The Living Legacy Foundation. Ask anyone who knows Ray to describe him, and the words that follow include: honest, loyal, the most positive person, bigger than life, filled with innate joy, funny, driven, gregarious, committed, compassionate, kind, nice, love filled, and genuine. You always knew where you stood with Ray. After a long career with Sears, he retired from the company in 1991, and took some time to see what was next. He spent a few years working in various retail environment, never finding the perfect fit, until the fine folks at Sav-Mart found a place for him. Sav-Mart was where he completed a long retail sales career spanning more than 40 years with one of the finest businesses in the Wenatchee Valley. Though, like all legends, he couldn't stay away from his love for retail and could be found at Rowe's Tractor in the last few years. Ray's salesmanship is legendary, and through the years received many awards and distinctions, but what was most important to him was being referred to as one of the most honest sales people in the valley. Diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (pkd.org) at the age of ten, Ray handled every health challenge that came his way over the next 65 years, with the same positivity he approached every other aspect of his life. In March of 2001, he received a lifesaving kidney transplant, that extended his life for many years and increased the size of his family as he, Kay, and Debbie were immediately wrapped in the love of his donor family, the Kimes. He proudly wore a commemorative button every day with the image of his kidney donor, Kris; participated in the U.S. transplant games in golf and shot put, and spoke to dozens of organizations and the local nursing program at Wenatchee Valley College about his experience with transplantation and donation, and at every doctor visit, check up, or hospital stay, would make sure that the nurses who cared for him had an organ donation pen from him, allowing him to tell the story of organ donation one more time. Ray was an avid golfer for more than 20 years and in the first year after retirement, played 126 rounds of golf, mostly at his home course, Rock Island Golf Course. In all his rounds, he had two hole-in-ones. It seemed when you played with him that golf was a meditation. The thoughtful conversations and wisdom that came when you played golf with Ray are gifts that many people hold dear. His selflessness and willingness to lend a hand to someone in need will always serve as an inspiration; he never said no and most often just did good things for others without being asked. In Ray's final hours, he was surrounded by his beloved wife, Kay, and a tribe he referred to as Ray's Angels; he left this world the morning of February 15, 2019, as his daughter, Debbie, held his hand and sang softly to him, "The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky, Are also on the faces of people going by, I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do, They're really saying I love you." It's been written that the elements of a good life include supporting people and causes that are important, deciding what matters most, sharing your blessings, mentoring others, and always doing the right thing. If so, then Ray not only lived a good life, he lived an extraordinary life. For those of us who were touched by this most magnificent light that came in the form of Raymond S. Page, we are forever better because of him. Ray is survived by his beloved wife, Kay; treasured daughter, Debbie Page of Bellevue, WA; his oldest brother, Walter Everett (Hap) Page, Jr. (86) of Ashburnham, MA; 19 nieces and nephews; and countless others who identify as one of Ray's bonus kids. He was preceded in death by his mother and father; sister, Priscilla;, and brothers, Calvin and Robert. Kay and Debbie request, gifts in lieu of flowers, be mailed to LifeCenter Northwest at 3650 131st Ave. SE, Suite 200, Bellevue, WA, 98006, in memory of Ray Page. LifeCenter Northwest is dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and is where Ray volunteered for nearly 18 years as an advocate for organ donation and transplantation. Or to the PKD Foundation (pkdcure.org), the only organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for polycystic kidney disease and to improve the lives of those it affects. Please join the family in Celebration of Ray's very well lived Life on Sunday, March 31, 2019, from Noon-3:00 p.m., at the Pybus Market Event Center in Wenatchee, WA. A military honor guard will be present.

Raymond Sewell Page

November 24, 1942 - February 15, 2019