Rick Raymond

Richard Dean Raymond was born on March 3, 1953 in Salina, KS and passed on November 19, 2016 in Denver, CO. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Lanae; his brother Duane Raymond (Erika) and sister Linda Ross (Joel) of Tucson, AZ; mother Elizabeth Raymond of Tucson; his brother-in-law Randy Hall of Fort Collins, CO; nieces, nephew, grand-niece, and grand-nephews, all of Tucson; and many extended family. Private family observance will be out-of-state. Visit www.horancares.com to share condolences and read Lanae's tribute to her husband. A tribute to my husband… Rick Raymond, 3/4/53–11/19/16 How lucky I was to have the absolute love of this man for 40 years! Look at that smile; look at that sense of fun as he gets ready to cast; look at that joy for a simple pastime at our favorite lake, Fool's Hollow in Arizona's White Mountains. I'm inspired by him even now, seeing his very essence captured in these photos, enjoying the moment. I'm writing this to remember how wonderful our time was together, with all the memories this brings of our road trips to the Southwest and beyond. I loved his preference for a bobber; certainly very simple and often not that successful. It is so interesting, as I have been looking at photos of our time together, that the ones that make me pause with a rush of such peace and good feelings are the ones of Rick fishing! Not our posed shots, or those taken on destination vacations, or at a tourist attraction, or even photo ops during a holiday with friends and family, but fishing! And we rarely had tangible successes to celebrate; fish were few and far between, but that never stopped us. Although I am inclined to want to analyze why these photos, these times, I won't. I won't even regret that we didn't do it more. I will only rejoice in the feelings as I look at my Ricky, the fisherman! The toll of his 7-year cancer battle will never mar my memory of that beautiful face. For those of you that knew Rick during his Air Force years, or his University of Arizona years getting his degree, or his 25 years as a Pharmaceutical Sales and Regional Sales Manager for what is now Cardinal Health, you know what I mean when I say that Rick did everything with passion and a sense of excellence! He maxed out the enjoyment of his service time in Fort Mead, MD and in Taiwan and made lifelong friends; thanks to Jim B. and Rick M. for your friendship, he loved your travels! His UA Camp Wildcat adventures helped further his excellent spirit, and meeting me on my first day of college was a story we loved to tell. Thanks to the CW gang for the at-risk youth camping trips and the college friendships. Twenty-five years of sales had so many highlights for Rick: creating the first independent co-op group for independent pharmacies that consolidated their buying power so they could enjoy the volume discounts that the big chains received; developing a pioneering unit-dose sales approach and contracting with the first hospital to be served by his company; and the lasting relationships he built by monthly trips to one-pharmacy-towns throughout southern Arizona, southern California, Colorado, and Wyoming – many of which I was able to accompany him on for some of the most wonderful road trips! For all of the pharmacists that were visited by Rick during his time in Tucson, San Diego, and Denver, he really enjoyed serving you and thanks for allowing him to have a personal relationship with his customers. During his retirement, which was such a good decision at the enviable age of 52, Rick was able to take all the time he needed to care for his Dad during his cancer battle and get his Mom resettled; become the go-to guy for neighbor honey-dos and be a strong neighborhood presence on our Highland Ranch street; take care of me and take on almost all of the house chores so weekends were free for us to be together; and participate in basketball, racquetball and pickle ball games at the HR rec centers. Thanks to neighbors Ed & Cindy, John & Karen, Sean, Alma, Randy & Sandy, James & Sandy, Marion & Steve, and Vanessa, John & Henry for their enduring friendships, and to Tom & Diane, Bill & Sue, Pat, Becky, Dave & Lyn, and the myriad pickle ballers who transform the HR gym into a supportive group of friends! And the trips we were able to take! His retirement ushered in a whole second wave. There was nothing like being in the car, at our own pace, visiting new and familiar sites; it was amazing and we were so lucky to be together so often. No wonder there are so many photos to go through; I am very blessed with these great memories. And during this last year and a half, so many friends stood up to support us; you have my enduring thanks. My SEMSWA family and work associates, too many to mention here, have been remarkable and Rick expressed his thanks many, many times. Many thanks to Rick's medical teams at Kaiser in primary care, oncology, radiation oncology, and infusion; such good, considerate people that made the challenging times better for their caring. And a special thanks to Duane, Rick's brother, who made many trips here from Tucson to be with his bro; so much appreciated by both of us. To those of you that knew and remember Rick fondly, know that he fought such a good fight and maintained his spirit of excellence throughout the battle. He would want you all to find the joy, delight, and peace that he exhibits in these photos that capture his sweet essence. All my love as you mourn his passing, and celebrate his spirit. Lanae