Raymond Williams

U.S. Navy Commander (retired) Raymond Lee Williams Obituary July 27, 1929 – September 19, 2024

 U.S. Navy Commander (retired) Raymond Lee Williams passed away peacefully on September 19,2024 surrounded by his two loving daughters, his neighbor Kevin Shearer and his devoted team of care givers who took exceptional care of him for the last few months of his life. 

Raymond was born July 27, 1929 to Dempsey D. Williams Jr. and Hazel Painter Williams in Eudora, Arkansas. Raymond had 3 brothers Dempsey III, Claude, and Lawrie. 

Raymond graduated in 1953 from the Naval Academy at Annapolis Maryland. Raymond met the love of his life while at the Naval Academy, Rosemary Guenther, and they were married on June 7th 1953 at the University of Maryland Chapel with a formal military ceremony. Raymond and Rosemary had two daughters Deborah Ann and Cynthia Lynn. 

Raymond and Rosemary were stationed in Guam and throughout the United States over his 22-year career with the Navy. Raymond’s last Naval assignment was in Pensacola where he served aboard the USS Lexington CVT 16 aircraft carrier known as the Blue Ghost which is now a floating museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ray and Rosemary retired in Gulf Breeze, Florida where he served on the Gulf Breeze City Council and worked as a real estate agent. He earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Science at the University of West Florida. Ray and Rosemary loved to play bridge and enjoyed a close-knit group of friends who were also avid bridge players for over 40 years. Ray and Rosemary enjoyed vacationing in the Blue Ridge Mountains and had wonderful memories of the national parks. 

The final years of Ray’s life brought some new challenges as a result of unexpected health issues. The family is grateful to Kevin Shearer, Raymond’s good neighbor, in helping Ray live independently during his final years. Ray was very fortunate to have a devoted team of 4 care givers, Adriana, Christina, Berta, and Victoria who provided him with 24x7 care and were with him in his final hours along with Kevin and his daughters Debbie and Cindy.

Raymond was a loving and dedicated husband to Rosemary, loving father to his daughters, Debbie and Cindy, and loving grandfather and great grandfather.

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, Dempsey and Hazel, his three brothers, Dempsey III, Claude, and Lawrie, and Rosemary, his loving and devoted wife, and Peter, Cindy’s husband. He is survived by his daughter Debbie, her husband Roy, their son Danny and his wife Autumn and their son Tyler, their daughter Shelley and her husband Frank and their son Leonardo and daughter Edith, daughter Cindy and her children Sarah and Christina, and Sarah’s husband Andrew and their daughters Charlotte and Elizabeth. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 am, Monday, November 4th at Rose Lawn Funeral Home Chapel in Gulf Breeze.  Raymond will be interred next to Rosemary, at Barrancas National Cemetery in a private ceremony at 1:30 p.m., that same day.