Obituary of Ray Charles Dinsmore

No visitation Ray Charles Dinsmore 4/15/1924 - 3/21/2007 Ray C. Dinsmore went on to his next adventure on March 21, 2007 surrounded by his loving family. He leaves behind the love of his life for 60 years, Florence; sons, Alan, Ronny, Billy, and Sammy; seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He will be missed. Ray loved life and lived it to its fullest. He was an original South Bay boy who was gifted with many talents. The earth was Ray's canvas and his D8 Cat, "the brush." A Husband, Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Friend, and Hero passed away peacefully while sleeping at St. Peter's Hospital at 5:00 p.m. March 21, 2007, with the Family at his side. We used a box of tissues to wipe away the tears as we said our good-byes. Dad will be greatly missed by all who loved him. He took up a "BIG SPACE" in all of our lives. Dad was born on the Family farm in the house the Boone's built in 1903 on twenty acres on Lindell Rd. Of course all of the Boone's claim to be from Daniel. Dad had the traces of Daniel's anti-social behaviors. He would tell you very quickly his opinion on something and then blaze a new trail out of there. Dad was not one to mince words or waist his time doing something he didn't want to do. He kept busy all the time on things that needed to get done, setting a good example for his sons. Young Ray grew up exploring the creeks, valleys, ponds, and inlets of the South Bay area. He knew every square inch of the place and could tell you more stories than you could put in a book. He loved the outdoors and hunted and fished more than his fair share of it. Right up to his last days he was showing us on the map the location of the old rail roads and logging skid roads of the area. Dad was the unsung local historian. After graduating the 8th grade, Ray went to work in the woods as a choker setter for Weyerhauser, soon working his way up to whistle punk and never looked back. He was a logger from then on, passing the passion of the woods on to his sons. We all love the great outdoors, nature, and yes... a little logging now and then. Ray met Florence through a mutual friend and asked her out immediately. He knew a good thing when he saw it. On the first date he went to the wrong spot to meet her and she ended up walking back home. A short time later they married and he spent the next 60 years making it up to her. They had a real love going on. Dad was always flirting with Mom, it made a happy home. After living in Brinnon for a few years, shrimp fishing, oyster farming, and of course logging, we moved back to Olympia and the farm where Dad worked at the Olympia Shingle Co. He then bought his own log truck and John Deere bulldozer and went logging again. He became very skilled at operating that J.D. and graduated to a D8 Caterpillar. He logged and cleared land all around the area for many years. Dad was well respected and highly regarded as a good operator. He was very proud to be a member of the Operating Engineers Union Local 302 of Washington and Alaska. Dad semi-retired in 1989 so he and Mom could move to Blewett Pass and pan for gold. He was successful enough at that to have Mom's wedding rings rebuilt with the gold he got out of the creek. He lost interest in gold when the thieves kept coming around and stealing his equipment. It took the fun out of it he said. A highlight of both Dad and Mom's life was the trip they made to Alaska with their good friends Jim and Marie. They drove their 1966 Dodge Powerwagon pulling the 16 ft. camper and had a great time sightseeing and visiting with their friends. After Dad fully retired in 2002, he fixed up his place on Blewett and spent his time reconditioning John Deere bulldozers and building on to his shop. He spent many long enjoyable hours in that shop building model ships of all kinds and shapes. The detail work was incredibly precise. All of Dad's projects were done thoroughly and accurately. Dad's last big project was his 1941 retired Navy vessel. He took a year traveling over from Blewett to spend a day or two at a time getting it ready for Mom and the two Poodles to move on board. For the next two years they Honeymooned again, cruising all over the Puget Sound. They stayed a full week on Hood Canal visiting with family; fishing and reminiscing the good old days. Dad always claimed to be the first licensed commercial shrimp fisher on the canal. In Dad's own words "I've lived a long full life and did everything I always wanted to do. I've always taken care of myself and if I can't anymore I don't want to be here any longer." OK Dad . . . We'll see ya in the morning. Ray's family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Mother Joseph Care Center for the gentle care they gave him in his last days. Jesikka, Malissa, Sarah, thank you. Wendy at St. Peter's, Mom won't forget your hugs. Thank you. If you would like to help Ray's family out in some way, you can do so by helping out Mother Joseph Care Center, 3333 Ensign Rd. N.E., Olympia, Washington, 98506. They are the loving hands taking care of our ailing loved ones. They need our support. Thank you all for being a part of Ray's life. God Bless you all. Come and remember Ray on his birthday, Sunday, 11:00 a.m. April 15, 2007 at Forest Memorial Garden Chapel, 2501 Pacific Avenue SE. A potluck picnic will follow at 1:00 p.m. at The Rutledge Corn Maze, 302 93rd Avenue S.E., Tumwater. All are invited.