Raymond Whalin

LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER RAYMOND C. WHALIN UNITED STATES NAVY (RETIRED) PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 23, 2012.FROM NATURAL CAUSES. HE WAS 91 YEARS OLD. RAY WAS BORN IN TENINO, WASHINGTON ON NOVEMBER 10, 1920 TO RAYMOND ARTHUR WHALIN. AND GLADYS DOWNEY WHALIN. HE WAS MARRIED TO BETTY JANE MOATS ON SEPTEMBER 12, 1941. BETTY PASSED AWAY IN 2006. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS DAUGHTER, RALYNN FINN, AND HUSBAND, DEAC FINN, SONS LANCE WHALIN, MICHAEL WHALIN, CRAIG WHALIN & WIFE NAOMI, PATRICK J. WHALIN, AND NUMEROUS GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN. ALSO SURVIVING ARE RICHARD MOATS, RAY'S BROTHER-IN- LAW, RICHARD'S WIFE, ELVA, AND THE MEMBERS OF THEIR EXTENDED FAMILY.

RAY RETIRED FROM THE NAVY AFTER 28+ YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE, AND SOON WENT TO WORK FOR THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. WHILE RAY WAS WORKING FOR THE STATE, HE AND BETTY AND FAMILY LIVED IN THEIR OLYMPIA HOME ON THE EAST SIDE OF WARD LAKE. HE RETIRED FROM STATE EMPLOYMENT AFTER ABOUT 10 YEARS. AFTER RAY RETIRED FROM THE STATE, THEY BOUGHT A SAFARI MOTOR HOME AND SPENT SEVERAL YEARS TOURING NORTH AMERICA. AFTER COMPLETING THEIR TOURING THEY RELOCATED TO NEVADA.

RAY'S FIRST MILITARY SERVICE WAS WITH THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL GUARD. HE SERVED WITH A MECHANIZED TANK UNIT, BASED AT THE ARMORY IN CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON. AFTER JOINING THE NAVY, RAY SERVED ON THE BATTLESHIP, U.S.S. COLORADO. LATER, WHILE STILL AN ENLISTED MAN, HE WAS ONE OF THE SURVIVORS OF THE SINKING OF THE HEAVY CRUISER "VINCENNES" IN THE WORLD WAR TWO "BATTLE OF SAVO ISLAND" NEAR GUADALCANAL IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. RAY WAS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF HIS NAVIGATION SKILLS AND HIS ROLE IN THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA, WHERE HE WAS A YOUNG OFFICER IN COMMAND OF AN LST (LANDING SHIP, TANK). HIS SHIP LANDED THE FIRST TANKS ON IWO JIMA, WHILE UNDER HEAVY ENEMY ARTILLERY AND SNIPER FIRE.

RAY WAS A MASTER MASON, A MEMBER OF THE SCOTTISH RITE AND A MEMBER OF THE ACIENT ARABIC ORDER OF THE NOBLES OF THE MYSTIC SHRINE (SHRINERS) AT THE AFIFI TEMPLE IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

A MASONIC AND MILITARY SERVICE FOR RAY WILL BE CONDUCTED ON MAY 8, 2012 AT THE VETERAN'S CEMETERY IN BOULDER CITY, NEVADA. "ANCHORS AWEIGH, RAY! WE WISH YOU A PLEASANT CRUISE."