Richard Farrell Raymond, 84, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on the evening of July 15, 2023. 

Richard was born September 16, 1938, in Alhambra, California, to William Goodwin Raymond Jr. and Bertha May Gerrard. He married his sweetheart, Nancy Kleven, on November 3, 1961 in the Los Angeles Temple and they were blessed with 62 years together. 

While attending Montebello Senior High School, Richard was on the varsity track team where he competed in high hurdles, long jump and pole vault. After high school Richard studied architecture for 2 years at the University of Utah. He then joined the Army in April of 1957 and served 6 months active duty, followed by 5 years of reserves.

Richard served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from October 1958 to April 1961. He was assigned to Montevideo, Uruguay where he served for several months.  He was very proud of the fact that he was later transferred as the junior companion to open the city of Arequipa, Peru because the new branch would need a piano player, and he knew how to play a few hymns. Then in the newly formed Andes Mission, he finished his missionary service in Chile. Richard loved the Spanish language and was a friend to anyone who spoke Spanish.

After his mission he started working for Beneficial Life Insurance Company, which is where he found that he loved and was successful at sales. In addition to selling life insurance, he joined forces in the early 1970’s with Wayne Reeves and formed what would later be known as Raymond, Reeves and Stout Pension and Insurance Services. 

Richard found great joy and fulfillment in church service. He was an influence for good in the lives of countless numbers of the rising generation. It was his honor to serve in many leadership positions, including bishop in both Brea, California and Mesa, Arizona; president of the Mesa Arizona Kimball East Stake; and president of the California Los Angeles Mission from 2004-2007. Other church service that had a profound impact on his life includes his time spent as an early morning seminary teacher, a prison ministry volunteer, a home teacher/ministering brother, and a stake patriarch--but it’s possible he loved his service as cubmaster most of all. 

Richard enjoyed and consistently heeded the enticings of the Spirit. He loved and cherished the time he spent both alone, and with others, studying the scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He was a man who fiercely loved and served his family and a firm believer that half the world’s problems could be solved if families sat down to dinner together every night. And the other half would be solved if there was a tablecloth.

Richard’s hobbies included woodworking (so many homes have something handcrafted by him), Scrabble (he was a master at making up some phony definition of a bogus word so the other players wouldn’t challenge), joke telling (there was no one better at recalling the right joke at the right time for the occasion), piano playing (the dancing by the grandkids to his ragtime happy birthday song is legendary), and reading (he bragged that he had read Grisham’s The Testament at least 25 times). He loved his favorite gourmet restaurant, Del Taco (where he would frequently ride his bike to meet friends and eat lunch). And he loved the pursuit of the senior citizen or military discount.

Richard accomplished many great things in life, but some of the accomplishments that best show his benevolent character are things not measured by worldly standards. He was a man who donated thousands of little wooden cars that he made in his garage to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital; a man who was a lifelong defender of faith in Jesus Christ; a master story-teller; a friend to all; a minister to the one in need; a man who somehow managed to make every one of his 49 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren feel like they were each the most special person in the world- he did this by doing everything in his power to attend as many weddings, baptisms, graduations, birthday parties and sporting events as he could. 

Richard leaves behind an astounding legacy and will surely be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by, his wife Nancy Kleven Raymond, his sister Virginia Stacey (Glen) Centerville, UT and his 10 children: Gary Raymond (Kristi) Mesa, AZ; Carole Alger (Brad) Gilbert, AZ; Suzanne Bell, Gilbert, AZ; Sandra Jensen (Nathan) Lindon, UT; Bill Raymond, Mesa, AZ; John Raymond (Lara) Placentia, CA; Laura Jones (Adam) Orem, UT; Tim Raymond (Amy) Gilbert, AZ; Sharon Farnsworth (Daniel) Queen Creek, AZ; Rick Raymond (Carlee) Gilbert, AZ. 

Richard’s family would like to thank Hospice of the Valley for the wonderful care they provided to Richard during his final days.

Richard’s funeral service will be at 11:00 am on July 29, 2023. There will be a viewing prior to the service beginning at 9:00 am. Both the viewing and the funeral will be held at the LDS chapel at 3307 South Greenfield Road, on the corner of Pecos Road and Greenfield Road in Gilbert, Arizona.

There will be a luncheon immediately following, and all are invited.

The funeral service will be live streamed on YouTube at this link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgNRDpcHysI