Cover photo for Richard Raynes's Obituary
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1930 Richard 2020

Richard Raynes

February 16, 1930 — January 20, 2020

Richard (Dick) Raynes passed away peacefully on January 20, 2020 at Glenn Arbor Hospice, Battle Creek, MI. Richard was born on February 16, 1930 in Kalamazoo, MI, the son of Basil Raynes and Gertrude (Sanford) Raynes. He graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1949.

Dick started work with Kroger Grocery on East Main in 1947 and moved to the Portage store in 1949. He knew how to save a dollar and was proud when, at age 19, he purchased a brand new 1950 Chevrolet Deluxe for $1800 in cash.

Drafted into the Army in January 1950, Richard served a two-year term with basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. He became an assistant tank driver and then transferred to Camp Polk, LA serving in the 101st infantry.

Upon his return in 1952, he went back to work at Kroger and served as a manager until the chain moved away from the area in the early 1980's. He then worked for Harding's in Otsego until fully retiring in 2000.
Richard met his love for life, Rita Dunning, in 1952; they were married on January 29, 1953. He immediately embraced his role as stepfather of Dean and Dennis Hobbs, and over the years Dick and Rita had three children - Paul, Kevyn and John Charles (JC). For over sixty years, Richard and Rita were members of the Christian Church - Disciples of Christ.

Surviving him are his four children Dean (Jan) Hobbs, Dennis (Kathy) Hobbs, Kevyn (Dawn) Raynes, Paul (Judah Gesmundo) Raynes; nephew Robbie (Susan) Dunning; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, Rita Raynes, and his son, JC, at seven years of age.

Richard was a loving soft spirit and always full of spontaneous humor. Many of his successes can be attributed to his openness and innate ability to connect with people. Humor was important in his life; he was known for his quick wit and expert ability at remembering and delivering a joke and the perfect punchline. He was a humble and honest man with a caring heart, always giving thought and concern for others.

He was an avid bowler, participating on many bowling leagues and enjoyed golf. He also enjoyed traveling across the country with Rita including many trips to Padre Island. For many years, they had a cottage on Muskrat Lake where they enjoyed fishing and other lake activities with their family and friends. Richard deeply enjoyed spending time with his family and a wide circle of friends from both work and church. They were active volunteers at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission where they fed the hungry, tutored and gave haircuts.

Visitation will be at Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial & Cremation Services, 622 S Burdick Street, Kalamazoo, on January 31st from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. There will be a memorial service at Christian Church - Disciples of Christ, 2208 Winchell Avenue Kalamazoo, on February 1st at 11:00 am followed by burial and reception (location to be announced). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Glenn Arbor Hospice Residence c/o Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, 222 N Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 100, 49007 or Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, 448 N. Burdick Street, 49007.

Please visit Richard's personalized online guestbook at https://www.langelands.com.

To order memorial trees in memory of Richard Raynes, please visit our tree store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Friday, January 31, 2020

5:00 - 7:00 pm (Eastern time)

Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial & Cremation Services, Memorial Chapel

622 South Burdick Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

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Funeral Service

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time)

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

2208 Winchell Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

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