William Raymond
William T. (Bill) Raymond
Our beloved Bill Raymond, age 92, passed away peacefully in Scottsdale, Arizona, on July 29, 2025. His legacy will endure with his treasured family, friends and all whose paths crossed this remarkable husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, coach and mentor.
Born in Owosso, Michigan on May 2, 1933, to Claude and Mary (Devitt) Raymond, Bill attended St. Paul Catholic School, played football (quarterback), basketball (guard) and baseball (pitcher/shortstop), graduating in 1951. He enlisted into the Air Force, became a jet mechanic and was deployed to Tripoli, Libya, where he refueled fighter jet planes headed to Indochina. He was among the last to see French paratroopers headed to Dien Bien Phu in what resulted in France’s last stand in the First Indochina War.
When Bill returned to the States, he eschewed an offer of reenlistment (not to mention the coveted position of star pitcher on the military baseball team) in favor of returning to Owosso to his high school sweetheart, Rose (Csiteji) Raymond. They were wed on November 19, 1955– a love story that would last nearly seventy years.
From there he assisted his father, Claude, in running the family hardware business, Raymond Hardware, located on Washington Street. In the early 60’s, with three small children, Bill shifted gears and went to work for Midland Brake, initially assigned to third shift in the press room and then the tool crib. Through perseverance and hard-work–an attribute he displayed throughout his life–he landed a position in the purchasing department. In all his years at Midland Brake he was not known to miss a single day of work. There, Bill would make his mark for the next several years, until the recession crippled the auto industry in the early 1980’s, culminating in the closure of Midland Brake’s plant in Owosso.
Determination and a keen ability to adapt served Bill well in this troubling period for Michigan. After stints in Tennessee, Kansas and North Carolina, he and Rose eventually settled in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where Bill became the Division Manager for Ajax Manufacturing. He officially retired in 1998, but a couple of weeks later, and owing to his vast knowledge of manufacturing processes, Bill joyfully went back to work as an automotive consultant. He would continue in that capacity well into his 80’s, solidifying his status as one of the industry’s leading experts on machinery that refurbishes brake shoes for large semi-trucks.
While carving out his career, he was a devoted and loving husband to his wife Rose and father to his four children, William Jr. (Barbara) of Jenison, Michigan; Michael (Susan) of Scottsdale, Arizona; Linda Dice (John) of Allendale, Michigan, and Craig of Scottsdale, Arizona. An avid sports fan, he coached his boys through Little League, Pony and Babe Ruth, wielding numerous championships and, more importantly, serving as a role model for countless youth in the Owosso area. He rarely missed any of his kids’ youth sports games, a trait he would carry over to his nine grandchildren.
In retirement, he and Rose split their time between the desert Southwest (Fountain Hills, Arizona), and their beloved cottage on Hess Lake in Newaygo, Michigan. He enjoyed following all of his nine grandchildren’s activities, often centered around sports. He also reprised his role as Little League manager and helped coach his grandson’s Little League team to a championship in Scottsdale in 2001. He continued to be an avid sports fan to the end, whether it was following the Arizona Diamondbacks, University of Michigan, Michigan State University or University of Arizona basketball.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Rose, his aforementioned four children, nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Burial will be at the National (Veterans) Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.