Raymond Aiken

Raymond A. Aiken was a loving, reliable and trustworthy man. His family and friends respected him greatly, both of his strength of mind and his unconditional love. Ray was continually guided by strong values, values that helped him make a lasting and positive impression on all the lives he touched.

The 1950s were a bustling, optimistic time in American history. Neighborhoods and schools were bursting at the seams in the post war Baby Boom. Families moved from the cities to stake their claims on a comfortable life in the suburbs, where new domestic technologies promised to make the average American life easier. Raymond Aiken was born during this period of robust exuberance, to Francis Raymond and Margaret Lorraine (Hansen) Aiken of Ashland, Wisconsin, on June 20, 1950. Francis was a sailor while Margaret was a busy homemaker.

Raymond’s young life got off to a rough start when his mother contracted tuberculosis and he too went to a sanitarium due to TB. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then caught polio while in the institution. Unfortunately, the vaccination for this disease wasn’t made available to the public for another six months. After little Raymond finally overcame his illnesses, he became a foster child, living in several different homes within the Wisconsin area throughout his growing up years. It was obvious from a young age that Raymond was a very bright boy. He enjoyed learning and truly took school to heart. After graduating from high school as valedictorian of his class, Raymond matriculated to Northland College, where, due to his conditions of life, his education was paid for by the State of Wisconsin. Raymond successfully completed his college education at Northland where he graduated with honors.

Raymond put his education to good use in a career in banking. With his strong work ethics and extensive knowledge, he worked his way to positions in the upper management at Inland Mortgage, Keystone Mortgage and People’s Bank and was a former member of the Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association. Most recently, however, Raymond thrived in his business as owner and president of Quality Control & Associates. He truly loved his job and took great pride in always doing quality work no matter what the task at hand was. In fact, people are still calling for his highly regarded work. Though, the one thing he was a stickler about at work was that his wife Judy not clean his office area.

As a young man, Raymond met a 13-year-old girl named Judy Cox, who was vacationing in Wisconsin with her family. They began corresponding with each other through letters and occasional phone calls for five years before they would meet again. Through these innocent letters a romance blossomed and they were married on June 8, 1975. The couple spent the next thirty years together, raising their daughter and sharing many wonderful memories as a family. A truly happy man, Raymond described his 25th wedding anniversary as “25 years of connubial bliss.”

In 1981, a wonderful thing happened to Raymond, he and Judy were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Ayesha, on September 15, 1981. This was undoubtedly one of Raymond’s most treasured and proudest days in his life. An active and attentive father, he attended every one of Ayesha’s soccer games, whether in high school or during her days on the Dynamo traveling league. As a true sports enthusiast, Raymond was a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs and even took his daughter to a game once in Cincinnati, which is still fondly remembered. Closer to home, they also liked going to Indianapolis Indian games. Raymond was a simple man who enjoyed the splendors of nature. He loved to fish and every year the family would take a trip to northern Wisconsin for some great fishing. He was already looking forward to their trip this year. When not out at his favorite fishing hole, Raymond enjoyed spending time with his extended family at Neon Johnny’s, perhaps catching up over a Budweiser. He often lent his unforgettable sense of humor and compassion to everyone around him, and in doing so, brightened many lives.

Family always came first in Raymond’s heart. His happiest moments always involved the time he spent with his wife and daughter. The holidays were some of their favorite times together. On Christmas Eve, they opened presents together while on New Year’s Eve, they stayed home and feasted on a meal of crab and shrimp, Raymond’s favorite. Raymond was a highly intelligent and articulate man with a vast vocabulary. However, it was not only his talent that pulled people in like a magnet. His loving, compassionate nature and rather quick wit consistently enthralled those who loved him most. He will truly be missed and frequently remembered.

Raymond A. Aiken 54, of Indianapolis, IN, died on Wednesday, March 2, 2005. Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Judy (Cox) Aiken; daughter, Ayesha Aiken; siblings, Carole Volk and Loren Aiken; foster brother, Albert Liberty. Friends and family will gather on Sunday, March 6, from 2-5 p.m. in the Leppert Life Story Funeral Home, Nora Chapel. A service to celebrate his life will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 7, at the funeral home. Please visit Ray’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a personal memory, arrange for flowers or make a memorial contribution to the family.