Raymond "Ray" Demeyer

Raymond "Ray" DeMeyer was entered into rest on February 25, 2020. He was born in Blythe, CA on September 11, 1929 to Basil and Lillian (Monnot) DeMeyer, the sixth of nine children, all of whom preceded him in death. He was raised on the DeMeyer farm, attending school in Blythe and Prescott, Arizona, and attending UC Berkeley before enlisting in the Army, where he served as a Training Officer in Fort Lewis during the Korean War. Following his military service, he joined his parents in Chico, CA, to work the farm on Meridian Road. In 1955 he married Dayle Mardis in the same church in Blythe where his parents were married. They lived in Chico next door to his parents for fourteen years. He later moved to Willow, CA where he resided for the past 40+ years with his beloved wife Dixie DeMeyer who preceded him in death in 2014.. Ray was the father of eight children; Chris DeMeyer of Puyallup, WA, Michael DeMeyer (deceased), Dianne DeMeyer Suschil of Durham, CA, Brian DeMeyer (deceased), Sharon DeMeyer of Chico, , Kathy Spence of Willows, Greg DeMeyer of Chico and Michelle DeMeyer of El Dorado Hills, CA. Ray was a stepfather to Marvin Crane, Jr. Ray also leaves behind seven grandchildren, one great grandchild, many nieces and nephews, and a large community of friends. Ray Ray was a farmer his entire life, doing custom harvesting in his later years, retiring in his late eighties. He was a skilled welder and loved designing and building things, like an aluminum can crusher and a sugar beet topper. He was a member of the Bean Growers, Sugar Beet Growers, and Tomato Growers Associations. Just this last month, Ray received his 70-year Elks Club pin, commemorating his commitment. Ray enjoyed hunting, snowmobiling, bowling and abalone diving. He loved his coffee group and playing cards and telling stories, the activity didn't really matter, it was more about spending time with his buddies. In 2013 he made a memorable trip to his father's homeland in Belgium, meeting relatives and visiting the family home. Ray's life will be honored on March 5, 2020 at 11 AM at the Willows Elks Club, 150 S. Shasta St., Willows, California.