Raymond 'Ray' Lester Newkirk, 83

Ray Lester Newkirk, 83, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away Nov. 17, 2016, at Hospice House of Coeur d’Alene of dementia. Ray was born on May 2, 1933, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Raymond and Margaret (Thompson) Newkirk, the oldest of three sisters and a brother.

The family moved to Tooele, Utah, when Ray was a youngster. Ray had a paper route and started driving truck at 16. At 17, he quit school and enlisted in the Air Force from 1950 to 1953 during the Korean War. He wanted to go overseas, but it wasn’t to be. When he returned home, he worked in an array of jobs from mines, smelter and American Fence Co.

Ray moved to Springfield, Ore., in April 1959 and stayed with an Air Force buddy and his wife. In July of the same year, he met his wife to be, Rosie. In 1961, Ray and Rosemarie “Rosie” Sheets were married. There were five children born between 1961 and 1970. Ray packed garbage (the old fashioned way — on his shoulder). In 1965, he moved the family to Waterville, Wash., where he delivered the Spokesman-Review and dug graves for the city.

Ray applied for a job with Boeing and in 1967 was hired and moved the family to Renton, Wash., where the children all grew up and went to school. He left Boeing and went to work for King County Solid Waste in 1968. There he was happy doing what he loved — driving trucks and working transfer stations. He knew them all and retired at 60 after 25 years. After he retired, and suffering the loss of one of his girls in 1997, he and Rosie moved to Coeur d’Alene. Ray loved it here. He drove his favorite car all around Coeur d’Alene, a 1968 Buick Skylark. He loved working in the yard and garden and visiting friends and family. He was especially close to his grandkids who all adored him.

Survivors are his wife of 55 years, Rosemarie “Rosie” Newkirk; son Wayne Newkirk; daughters Valarie (Joe) Moser and Jennifer Newkirk; nine grandchildren, Steven Sands, Jeff Barker, Jessica Barker, Justin (Danna) Davis, Tyler Davis, Chelsea Brazier, Amanda Moser, Rachel (Cody) Lyons and Nichole Ashby; nine great-grandchildren; too many to count nieces and nephews; and one sister, Loretta Newkirk.

A visitation/viewing will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, at Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d’Alene Chapel, 744 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, with a funeral service following at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. Please visit Ray’s online memorial and sign his guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.