Ray Edwin Paine

Ray Edwin Paine

December 30, 1923 — May 21, 2023

Ray was born in Kansas City, Kansas on December 30, 1923, to Louis C and Nora Paine. Ray grew up in the Maple Hill area of KCK and attended Junction Grade School and graduated from Argentine High School where he was trained to be an electrician. Drafted in 1943, Ray was taken to the Army Truck Driving School in Florida and then traveled through the Suez Canal before reaching his assignment in the war which was an airfield responsible for repairing and maintaining aircraft fighting in the China-Burma-India theater of World War II. Returning to KCK in 1946, Ray worked 4 years at the TWA Maintenance Facility before becoming a civilian in the Air Force at Richards Gebaur Air Force Base where he practiced his electrical training on many different aircraft at the facility. His final employment was from 1969-1988 in Graphic Arts Equipment Control at Hallmark Cards.

Ray and his wife, Betty, were married in 1951 celebrating their 72nd anniversary this April.

Ray loved tinkering in the basement in his workshop where he was always building something. He amazingly seemed to always be able to fix anything! He also enjoyed attending Chiefs, Royals and KU games. His nephews and nieces remember him as a “kind” man

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Ray is survived by his wife, Betty, his son Ray Jr. (Stacey), and two grandchildren, Tucker and Ethan. Tucker and Ethan were extremely fond of their grandpa and spending time with him and grandma. Tucker especially remembers the trip to Disney World where he spent time with grandpa laying in the hammock along the beach at the Polynesian Village and grandpa building the Lionel train set with them whenever they wanted. Ethan remembers grandpa helping him build his Pinewood Derby car and listening to stories about his time in the Air Force.