Raymond D. Stehle
Raymond D. Stehle, 91, of 151 Oak St., Butler, died peacefully early Thursday morning at the VNA Inpatient Hospice following a brief illness.
Born in his current home on April 3, 1921, he was the son of the late Joseph T. and Olive Atwell Stehle.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Josephine Sheila Stehle, who died in 2008.
Ray is survived by his six children, David Stehle (Yvonne) and John F. Stehle (Alice), all of Butler, James Stehle (Phyllis) of Washington, D.C., Mary McQueen (Curtis) of Kempton, Pa., Thomas Stehle of Washington D.C., and Vincent Stehle (Patricia Caesar) of Philadelphia; eight grandchildren, Katherine, John and Gregory Stehle (Rebecca), Maureen Bobish (Chris), Nathan Stehle, Sheila Heiter (Matthew), and Jasper and Mieke McQueen; two great-grandchildren, Mason and Trenton Heiter; and numerous nieces and nephews. He also is survived by his sister, Catherine Dillon Bullen.
He was preceded in death by two sisters and a brother.
Ray was a 1938 graduate of Butler High School, and he attended Carnegie Tech and Robert Morris Business School.
In 1940, Ray joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and was stationed in Hawaii. He was at Bellows Air Field during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. After being trained in the States as a navigator, he served with the 13th Air Force in the South Pacific, flying 38 missions on B24 bombers. His crew received numerous recognitions, including eight Air Medals and two Presidential Citations. He was honorably discharged in 1945 with the rank of first lieutenant.
He was a member of the St. Paul Roman Catholic Church where he served as a member of parish council, a eucharistic minister, the director of the CCD program, a member of Cana Club and the church choir, an adult altar server and in many other ways. As a teenager, he drove priests and catechists out to the mission parishes throughout Butler County.
He served the community on numerous boards and associations, including the Human Relations Association, the Mental Health Association and Habitat for Humanity. He was a volunteer at VA Butler Healthcare. He was a lifelong and active Democrat.
Ray was a Mass Mutual Life insurance agent for many years. He retired as a salesman for Mastertech Security Systems.
He was an avid fisherman, taking every opportunity to enjoy the sport, pass it on and share it with others.
STEHLE — Raymond D. Stehle died Thursday, July 19, 2012. Friends will be received at his home, 151 Oak St., Butler, from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday with a vigil service immediately following. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at the St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, 128 N. McKean St., Butler, with his nephew, Father John Dillon, presiding.Memorial donations can be made to the Mental Health Association of Butler County, 140 N. Elm St., Butler, PA 16001.Arrangements are entrusted to Geibel Funeral Home, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler.Information also is available at www.geibelfuneralhome.com.
