Raymond Louis Annear

Raymond Louis Annear was born in Clinton, Iowa, on October 10, 1934 to Morris and Eva Annear. He graduated from Clinton High School; thereafter, he joined the Iowa National Guard on March 23, 1953. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy on June 9, 1955 and served proudly until his retirement in August of 1976. Raymond served on 14 ships and received three Good Conduct Medals, the Nation's Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. After retiring, Raymond came to New Mexico to be close to Holloman Air Force Base so he could travel the world. However, what Raymond loved most was returning home to Clinton, Iowa, to spend time with family and friends, and his Mississippi River. In Clinton, nephews Randy and Ronald, with whom Ray had a very special bond, will miss him dearly. They enjoyed sitting on the deck at Ron's cabin listening to the stories of his travels and the wonderful friends he made along the way. They made many good memories, such as the boat rides with Ron and the time at the riverfront watching the American Queen come up the River. Waiting 4 hours in the cold wind, Randy and Ron very much enjoyed watching Ray talk to all the people waiting to see the boat, and especially the joy on his face when he could finally see it and wave to all the people on board. Randy's fondest memory is when he took Ray to a friend's farm for the day, where the friend took Ray for a ride in his combine. It was like getting a glimpse of Ray as a child; the excitement on his face and the huge smile made the day. There are too many more memories to list; we will cherish each one. One of Ray's greatest joys was doing God's work with prison inmates. In 2009, Raymond was recognized by the New Mexico Corrections Department as the volunteer of the year, where it was revealed he had been volunteering in New Mexico prisons for 25 years. Raymond continued in his volunteer work until the fall of 2017 when he attended the Kairos closing. Raymond served in a variety of ministries; Prison Fellowship, Bill Glass Ministries, Kairos Prison Ministries, and Crossings Prison Ministries, Inc. (a faith-based living unit program). Raymond is survived by his nephews Randy, Ronald, Jeff, and Dan; nieces, Susan, Judy, and Tammy. Raymond was preceded in death by his parents; Brothers: Russell, Richard, Robert; one nephew Rodney; and one niece Deborah. We know God has welcomed Ray with open arms. Service Information
Friday, March 23, 2018 11:00am,
Mesilla Park Community Church

1040 El Paseo Rd
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001