Raymond Paul Lutz

Ray was born in Cleveland, Ohio to John and Pauline Lutz. His sisters, Olga and Jennie preceded him into the family. Together they occupied a small farm outside Cleveland where they not only grew and marketed a wide variety of vegetables, but also kept a considerable number of dairy cattle. Many of Ray's fondest memories were of those years on the family farm. It was there, however, that Ray tragically lost a leg while working with his father cutting lumber. Although he was unable to save Ray's leg, John quickly applied a tourniquet and got Ray to a hospital in time to save his life. Undaunted by this event, Ray went on to live his life doing just about everything he wanted to: from hiking across Western Europe and Russia to water skiing on the lakes of Oregon and Washington.

Not long after Ray lost his leg, his family moved to Florida where he graduated from high school and went on to obtain his B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry at the University of Florida. After a period working at E.I. DuPont, he applied and was accepted to the California Institute of Technology where he earned his PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry. Having acquired his PhD, Ray headed East to Massachusetts and spent the next four years as a lecturer at Harvard University. He moved from there to the University of Illinois where he taught for a number of years before continuing his migration West, accepting a position at Portland State University. It was there that Ray spent the next 30 years distinguishing himself in both the classroom and in the research laboratory, retiring in 1997 while maintaining a presence on campus as emeritus professor in the chemistry department. While Ray excelled in the sciences, he was also an aficionado of the Arts: spending hours in Art Galleries and Concert Halls. He loved classical music and the theater, and you could often find him listening to his favorite composers or singing along with Pavarotti, Bocelli, Domingo, and others: He was a true renaissance man.

It was after a downturn in his health that Ray moved to Salem to be nearer to close friends whose family he had been an integral part of for many years. He spent his remaining years as a resident at Willson House, where he found a welcoming home among the residents and staff.

His sister, Jennie Ann Lastition, preceded Ray in death. Her children, Janet Allen and Gary Lastition; his sister Olga Mary Watford, her sons Bruce, David, and Michael; and his close friends Mike and Sue McNicholas and James Dicey survive him.