Raymond Niemi

Raymond John Niemi’s life was not long; it was not filled with grand achievements. But what it did have was the soul of a brilliant man searching for his place in the world. An extremely intelligent child and adult, with a talent for playing the violin and the guitar, Raymond shared his life with others through his music and his poetry. Those who knew him were touched by his spirit.

When the 1950's are mentioned, the first thing to come to most people's minds is guitars and rock ‘n roll. This type of music was popular with teenagers who were trying to break out of the mainstream conservative American middle class mold. It was an appropriate time for the birth of Raymond John Niemi, a man whose life would always be just a few steps away from this “mold”. His parents, John and Sadie Niemi lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a city cut from the American mold. On August 1, 1953 John and Sadie were delighted with the birth of their first child and son, Raymond. Five years later, Raymond would become big brother to sister Kathy. With a span of five years stretching between them, Raymond often considered Kathy the “pest” that followed him around and got into everything. But as the years went on, they grew closer and closer, developing a special brother-sister bond.

Music has always held a special place in Raymond’s world. Even as a young child, he was captivated by its magic. While in grade school he learned to make his own magic on the violin and when not busy practicing, was off with his friends playing on a local Little League team. Every summer Raymond and his family would take their yearly vacation, exploring the wonders of the United States, from California – a stay of 6 weeks - to the East Coast and down to the sunny state of Florida. Even though Raymond was in grade school when they visited California, it did not affect his schooling. He was blessed with a brilliant mind, a blessing that sometimes made his life difficult. His extreme intelligence allowed him to skip two grades in school, something that was not always to his advantage later in life.

He began high school at Ann Arbor Pioneer, but transferred to Ann Arbor Huron when that new school was completed. By this time his interests had switched from the violin to the guitar, and he shared his musical talents as part of a band called “Bluelight”. Raymond and his band mates would practice in the basement of the garage and were good enough to play a few local gigs.

At the tender age of 16, Raymond Niemi was part of Huron’s first graduating class. But his age difference, coupled with his ability to breeze through school, would lead to a somewhat solitary life. After graduating from high school, Raymond drifted around a bit, struggling to discover how a 16-year old fit into an adult world. Not lacking in ambition, he held a wide variety of jobs, but again, his high intelligence often made it hard for him to relate to other people.

In 1984, looking forward to a change of scenery, Raymond moved to Florida. However, his health began to fail and work became increasingly difficult. Not wanting to lose what connections he had made, Raymond began writing poetry. Using his computer, he was able to meet new people and share his poems. Always tuned to the natural world, Raymond began growing and caring for favorite plants and used his knowledge to find herbal medicines. He coupled this with his belief in the use of natural / organic foods and products. Sadly, they were no match for the disease he fought so bravely.

Raymond John Niemi, of Seminole, FL, formerly of Ann Arbor, died on Saturday, November 6, 2004 in St. Petersburg, FL. Survivors include his parents, his sister Kathy (John) Monge, his niece Victoria “Tori”, and his nephew John “Johnny”. Survivors also include several Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and other family. Raymond’s family will receive friends at the NIE LIFESTORY FUNERAL HOME, 2400 Carpenter Rd., on Friday, November 12, 2004 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Reverend Edward G. Zell officiating. Interment will follow at Arborcrest Memorial Park. Please visit Raymond’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com. where you may share a favorite memory, sign the guest book or make a memorial contribution in Raymond’s memory to The Hospice of the Florida Sun Coast, 300 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770.