Obituary of Raymond W Rehfeldt Jr

Raymond W. Rehfeldt, Jr

June 19, 1949 to April 12, 2017

Ray was born to Hazel and Raymond Rehfeldt on June 19, 1949, in Billings, Montana the third of five children. After graduating from Billings West High School in 1968 he entered the U.S. Airforce and later moved to Vancouver, WA. On a beautiful, sunny day in July, 1970, Ray met Vicki at Lake Merwin, WA. They began dating that day and spent time together every day for over a year until she left to continue her college education. That lasted only one quarter, at which time he convinced her to return to Vancouver, marry him, and continue her college education in Portland. They were married for 45 years and raised two wonderful children, Tara Campbell (Russ) and Trent Rehfeldt (Lisa). Ray loved being a father and never missed a sporting event, dance recital, or adventure opportunity with his family, which included skiing, boating, biking, and playing tennis together. They took countless vacations together, exploring the history of our country, from Boston's Freedom Trail and Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation, to the monuments and museums of Washington, D.C., as well as most of our national parks, visiting historic homes to civil war encampments, war memorials and presidential homes and libraries, to the beaches of Hawaii and Florida and the deserts of Phoenix and New Mexico, the Redwoods of California to the lighthouses of Maine and the covered bridges of Vermont. Ray also had a lifelong passion for cars, from the old classics to the new and shiny. He loved collecting them, racing them, fixing them up and more than anything else cleaning/detailing them. A dirty vehicle was never acceptable at the Rehfeldt house. On any given summer night you could have seen Ray on the roads of Vancouver, WA or Scottsdale, AZ cruising in his 67’ Corvette, 68’ Mustang or 96’ Saleen Mustang with a smile on his face and the breeze running through his hair. Ray was equally devoted to his six grandchildren, all of whom adored their "Gramps," delighting in helping him shave to painting his toenails. They also loved traveling with Gram and Gramps in their motor home, in which Ray and Vicki spent so many wonderful months traveling across the United States. They were also fortunate enough to be able to take many international tours together, including an especially memorable 35th anniversary trip to Europe, celebrating their milestone event aboard a riverboat cruise on the Nile River. Shortly after Ray and Vicki were married, Ray entered the apprenticeship program for carpenters and went on to become a third generation carpenter. In 1980 he became a commercial general contractor and started Rehfeldt Construction Inc., a successful family business for nearly thirty years. Ray was very proud when his son, Trent, came to work for the business after graduating from college, thus fulfilling a lifetime dream of both father and son. Ray had an extremely strong work ethic and was always more than happy to lend a hand to help family and friends with endless projects. He was blessed with a philosophy of optimism, courage, a terrific sense of humor, and a passion for life and a deep devotion to family. He will be missed tremendously. Ray is survived by his wife Vicki; daughter Tara (Russ) Campbell; son Trent (Lisa) Rehfeldt; grandchildren, Miles, Cali, Hadley, Conner, Caden and Camryn; brother Jim Rehfeldt; sisters Patty & Barbara Ray was preceded in death by his parents and sister Sandy. 19, 1949 to April 11, 2017