Raymond P. Lenhardt, 92, of Lincoln, passed away at 8:35 a.m. Thursday (June 16, 2016) at HSHS St. John's Hospital, Springfield.
Ray was born Jan. 21, 1924, the son of Raymond and Chloe Fern Lenhardt.
Ray graduated from Lincoln High School in 1942. Ray went on to join the U.S. Navy in 1943 and proudly served his country as a radio operator and rear tailgunner on a torpedo bomber on the aircraft carrier USS Hogat Bay fighting in the Philippines during World War II.
After the military, he worked for Alexander Lumber Co. in Lincoln and married Doris Maxine Klemm on Aug. 7, 1948, in Jefferson, Ind. In 1950, they moved to Chenoa so Ray could be the manager of Alexander Lumber there.
While in Chenoa, they were blessed with two sons, Dennis and Ed. In 1967, they moved back to Lincoln, where Ray became an insurance agent with Prudential Insurance for the next 20 years until retirement in 1987.
Ray and Doris loved to camp at Lake Taylorville and spent the next 15 winters in Tucson, Ariz., where they made a whole new set of lifelong friends. Ray also enjoyed fishing and woodworking, but most of all he enjoyed his family and friends and was always willing to help out anyone with any project. Ray never met a stranger, and he would love to visit with anyone on any topic.
In May 2012, Ray had the honor of going on The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., with his son, Ed, as his guardian. After returning from that privilege, Ray thened discuss some of his stories proudly of his time in the military.
Ray and Doris were members of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln.
Ray was preceded in death by his son, Dennis Ray Lenhardt, in October 2003; his wife, Doris Maxine Klemm, in October 2015; and great-granddaughter, Alivia Jean Gibson, in November 2012.
Ray is survived by one son, Edwin E. (Nancy) Lenhardt, Atlanta; two grandsons, Jim (Amanda) Dickson, Atlanta, and Andy (Amanda Park) Dickson, Bloomington; and four great-grandsons, Jayden, Brady, Beau and Benjamin.
During Ray’s final days, he would tell Ed and Nancy that he was ready to be with the Lord and that it was time to go see “Mommie” and Dennis. He passed away peacefully under hospice care at St. John’s.
The family would like to thank all the caregivers in Ray’s final months and to all family and friends for all of their support.
Services for Ray will be 10 a.m. Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lincoln, with the Rev. Candida Turner officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home, Lincoln. Burial at Zion Cemetery will follow the service, where full military rites will be accorded. Memorials may be made in Ray’s name to Land of Lincoln Honor Flight or Immanuel Lutheran Church.
