Raymond A. Sommers

Raymond A. Sommers, Professor Emeritus, UWSP

Ray was born on November 22, 1931, to Tony G. and Irene Sommers at their home in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Ray attended St. John’s Catholic School from grades 1 to 10 and graduated from Marshfield Sr. High School in 1949. He was a Boy Scout Patrol Leader of the Jolly Roger Patrol, Troop 85, and an active Boy Scout through his youth. Though he was a Boy Scout, he still did get into some mischief as a child, which made for good stories later. He learned to play the harmonica in grade school, and he shared this gift throughout his life, entertaining family at home and around the campfire.

He enjoyed riding his motorcycle—a 1935 Harley model 74—that he bought at age 16. He had many adventures on his motorcycle, including to the Boundary Waters with college friends, later with his children, and taking rides through the countryside in his retirement years.

He was in a rifle club in high school, started a rifle club in college, was an expert marksman in the Army, and enjoyed using several muzzleloaders in later years.

He attended Central State Teachers College, now UW-Stevens Point, graduating in 1953 with a BS in chemistry and minors in math and physics. After a one-year teaching fellowship at the University of Minnesota, he joined the US Army in 1954.

His mother always prayed that he’d marry “a good Catholic woman.” In his first year of graduate teaching, he met “Kathy” in the lunch line at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. They had their first date at a football game shortly thereafter and were engaged within six months. On December 29, 1954, he married Kathleen Hastings in Richfield, Minn., while he was on a short leave from the Army. Two of his three years in the Army were spent in Okinawa with the Counter Intelligence Corps. After leaving the Army in 1957, Ray spent the next five years at the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton where he obtained an MS and a Ph.D. He then began teaching Analytical Chemistry at UWSP in 1963 and retired 30 years later.

Ray enjoyed math, sciences, and new tech. While he was in the Army, he taught himself advanced calculus, “in his free time.” He was an Amateur Radio operator, WB9LKC, and made a unit to use in the Boundary Waters, to send messages that would be relayed to his wife, at home. He programmed a TRS-80 computer in the 70s for his children. At work teaching, he developed programs for a computer that took up an entire room, among other things.

Ray was always ready to help fix things around the house for his wife and children. He built bunk beds for the “schoolhouse,” a wine press, fixed up a trailer for camping, built long benches for the dining room table that could seat the whole family, and attended to the needs of keeping up a 120-year-old homestead.

He loved working with nature, reflective of his own gentle, peaceful character. He was an ace gardener, planting and maintaining an acre-sized garden each year with the help of his family. He also made sure he planted flowers for his beautiful bride and would pick those, as well as wildflowers, for her. He planted as many as 5,000 pine seedlings yearly on his land with his family and enjoyed the fruits of his labor by heating his home with wood. He also planted some trees in the shape of a large cross, replaced the large 25-foot historical cross at the corner of the house, and “planted” stations of the cross around the house and on his land.

He also enjoyed hiking, biking, camping, and canoeing. He took 20 canoe trips into the Boundary Waters wilderness area of northern Minnesota, mostly with family, as well as three solo trips, where he loved seeing moose and hearing loons. He was an avid winemaker, making wine with everything from vegetables and dandelions, to flowers and fruits, and coffee grounds. He also continued his mother’s tradition of making elderberry wine. Ray was the leader of a charismatic prayer group, a cantor at church, and later an altar server. In retirement, he enjoyed reading mystery novels, playing sudoku and Othello, and actively living out his days with his lovely wife at his side.

When he woke up every morning he would ask himself, “What can I do to serve my wife today?” At their 50th anniversary, Kathleen stated, “He has never said an unkind word to me!”

After his wife’s passing in 2019, he was cared for with great dedication and affection by his family, while sharing his good stories and playing Othello. He was patient, quiet yet strong, thankful, always ready to help, and humored his family and friends with his quick wit.

Ray, age 90, was preceded in death by his older brother Norman and his older sister Elaine (Wiltgen, Reinwand), his son Mike, his daughter-in-law Laurie, his grandchild Mateo, his great-grandchild Mio, and his wife Kathleen of 64 years, 10 months, and eight days.

Ray’s family consists of 14 children: Ted (Kathleen), Jean (Greg Marchel), Joe (Terry), Mike (1961-2000), Christopher (Toni), Marie (Mark Gilpatric), Paul (Jane), Elizabeth, Peter (Patti), Margaret (Kyle McCarty), Heidi (Tom Buckett), Matthew (Jennifer), Max (Lisa), Rachel, and 44 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Ray was born to eternal life on Friday, March 25, 2022, at about 11:30 a.m., passing peacefully at home, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation.

A visitation will be held Monday, April 4, from 4-7 p.m., with a Rosary at 7, at Shuda Funeral Home, Stanley St., Stevens Point. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, April 5, at noon (with visitation 10am-noon), at Sacred Heart Church, Polonia.

In lieu of flowers, Masses may be offered for the repose of the souls in purgatory.

Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com