Ray Dell Brown Obituary (2023)

Ray Dell Brown died on March 21, 2023, at his home, in the Pacifica Senior Living retirement community, in Ellensburg, Washington, at the age of 89. Ray was born on August 31, 1933, in Vera, Oklahoma, the eighth child of Marion Lee Brown and Ollie Dell (Payne) Brown. In 1936, Ray moved with his family to the Yakima Valley. Ray graduated from Wapato High School in 1951, where he was sophomore class president, a tennis letterman, and a member of the Red Devils service club. Ray graduated from the University of Washington in 1955 with a degree in pharmacology. At UW, Ray was a member of the Air Force ROTC. After post-graduate pilot training at Bartow Air Base (Florida) and Reese Air Force Base (Texas), he was commissioned as a first Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve. Ray piloted transport planes on active duty in 1968-69 during the Vietnam War. He also flew in Korea and the Berlin Corridor. Ray was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. In 1993, Ray retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of Major. Ray worked as a staff pharmacist for the House of Values and PayLess Drug Stores for many years, in Aberdeen and Lynnwood, Washington. He later moved to Ellensburg, where he met and married his wife, Karen, in 1979. Ray worked as a registered pharmacist at the Kittitas Valley Community Hospital for over 10 years. Ray and Karen subsequently moved to Gleed, Washington, and then to Yakima, Washington. Rays hobbies included gold prospecting, single deck blackjack, RV camping, and rockhounding after Ellensburg blue agates. Ray was active in the Yakima American Legion and VFW clubs, the Elks, Masons and Masada Shriners. His wife, Karen F. (Lund) Brown, predeceased him (2006). Ray is survived by his stepsons, Greg Lund, of Yakima, Washington; Kurt Lund, of Lakewood, Washington; and S. Michael Lund, of Spanaway, Washington. A Graveside Service will be held, on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 1:00 pm, at Tahoma Cemetery (1802 Tahoma Ave., Yakima, WA 98902). Memorials may be made payable to Shriners Childrens Hospitals, and sent in care of Brookside Funeral Home (P.O. Box 1267, Moxee, WA 98936), who is caring for the family. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.brooksidefuneral.com.