Raymond Frank Phaneuf passed away March 20, 2019 at the Vashon Community Care Center. He was 98 years old. He was born to Leo and Loretta Phaneuf in 1920 in Ludlow, Massachusetts, the first of five children. After high school, he attended American International College where he graduated with a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics. In 1943, he attended officer training at Annapolis Naval Academy and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Navy in 1943. He served as the Engineering Officer aboard the minesweeper USS Trapper and patrolled the Hawaiian islands until the end of WWII.

He met Mavis while stationed in Seattle during WWII, and they were married in November 1943 after a 3-month courtship. After the war they settled in Massachusetts and started a family while Ray worked as a chemist at a paper coating company. Ray eventually became a chemistry teacher and moved his growing family to Vashon in 1960, where he taught at Vashon High School for 17 years. In his retirement years, he and Mavis traveled, golfed at the Vashon Country Club, enjoyed their children and grandchildren and became avid members of the Vashon Athletic Club. Sporty’s and Cafe Luna became their regular scheduled stops after exercising.

They have lived on Vashon Island for almost 60 years and have been members of the Episcopal Church for 52 years. Ray enjoyed telling stories, talking about history and discussing politics.

He is survived by Mavis, his wife of 75 years, 4 children -Terri, Bob, Claudia, Carla, 7 grandchildren-Tami, Kevin, James, Jeff, Jamie, Payton, Preston, 6 great-grandchildren, siblings Roger and Janice and many other relatives.

His ashes were committed at the Episcopal Church on June 9th attended only by family.