Raymond Alexis Rios

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our father, Raymond Alexis Rios. He was a devoted son, husband, father, and a proud grandfather. He passed away on August 24th, 2026 in Lacey, Washington at the age of 85. Raymond spent his final days accompanied by his family and a team of dedicated caregivers, for whose support we will be eternally grateful.

 Raymond was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico on June 24th, 1941 to parents Ramon Rios Alvarez and Belen Gonzalez Villafane. His mother was a teacher and his father was a merchant marine who took ships to ports between Puerto Rico and the east coast of the United States. Raymond’s parents separated when he was young, and his mother raised him in Moca, Puerto Rico. His father relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana and eventually remarried, giving Raymond a step-brother and younger sister.

In Puerto Rico, Raymond graduated from the Escuela Superiora Jose de Diego in 1959, as the valedictorian of his class. He received a scholarship to attend the University of Puerto Rico, but turned it down to attend Louisiana State University (LSU) instead, at his father’s behest. Raymond loved LSU but after attending two years he was unable to continue, due to his father passing away. After that, Raymond returned to Puerto Rico to be with his mother and became her primary caregiver. Raymond and his mother moved briefly to Los Angeles before settling down in New York. There, he purchased his first home in Medford, New York, on Long Island, and then commuted into the city for work. 

As a young man, Raymond loved to travel and built his life and career around it. Raymond worked nearly 25 years for Venezolana Internacional de Aviación Sociedad Anónima (VIASA), the Venezuelan International Airways. Working as a sales agent with VIASA required in-person client visits before the internet, which allowed him to travel the world and also to meet his late wife, Carmen Lydia Rios. She was a bookkeeper in New York City working for the Manhattan law firm of Marshall, Bratter, Greene, Allison and Tucker. Carmen loved to travel too, and was planning a trip to Venezuela. When she called her travel agent regarding that trip, Raymond just happened to be in the agent's office. The travel agent put Raymond on the phone to speak with Carmen, suggested they go on a blind date, and that was it!

Raymond and Carmen bonded over their love of travel and were married on October 24th, 1976. They were married for 48 years until Carmen’s passing early last year. Throughout their marriage, they explored the world together - visiting Europe, Asia, South America, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, and Hawaii, and touring the continental US extensively.

While still living in New York, Raymond and Carmen had two children, Anthony and Nicole. After a family trip to Hawaii, they stopped in Olympia, WA to visit relatives and fell in love with the mountains and trees, especially Mount Rainier. Together, the family relocated to Washington State in 1989, and built their lives here in Thurston County. They became parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey. Carmen worked for Holy Family School and Raymond found work with Northwest Airlines, which allowed them to continue traveling. Raymond commuted daily from Lacey to SeaTac for work, praying the Hail Mary while he drove, until he retired in 2005. Around that time, Northwest Airlines went through a merger, and Raymond became a proud retiree of Delta Airlines.

Beyond travel, Raymond’s hobbies included listening to Latin music, growing orchids, taking care of his cat Tiki, and playing Microsoft Flight simulator. He liked to download the scenery of airports he had visited and take virtual flights out of Puerto Rico to the destinations of his youth. He also enjoyed languages and on top of his fluency in English and Spanish, he used computer programs to teach himself conversational French, Italian, and Portuguese. He greatly enjoyed when opportunities to speak these languages would come up with clients at work. He also had talents for singing, and poetry. He used to randomly make up songs, sometimes with swear words, just for fun, and once wrote a book of sweet, romantic poems for his wife. He loved animals too, and was known among family for trying to feed the wildlife when visiting national parks, completely ignoring the signage to not do so. He could be spontaneous and funny, and enjoyed hollering at the TV while watching Telenovelas, which are dramatic Spanish language soap operas. Raymond also loved to dance when he was young, and even as he aged, sometimes he would dance down the aisle at the grocery store if he heard a good song!

Raymond is preceded in death by his wife and parents, and survived by his children and siblings: son Anthony Rios (Jennifer), daughter Nicole Rios-Gunn (Jacob), and beloved grandson Lupe Rios-Gunn, as well as his sister Juanita Newchurch, stepbrother Ralph West Jr., and his niece and nephews. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. 

A Catholic rosary and Mass in Raymond’s memory will be held on Thursday, October 1st, 2026 at Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey, WA. The rosary will start at 10:30 am, with Mass at 11:00 am and a reception immediately following services. Family and friends are welcome to join us in honoring Raymond and remembering his life. The rosary and Mass will also be livestreamed on the Sacred Heart Parish YouTube channel for loved ones unable to attend in person.