Raymond Lindeman Jr.

Raymond Lindeman, Jr., 78, of Coventry, ceased his fearless roar at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice center on August 31, 2023 with his family by his side.

The youngest of three children, Ray was born in Oak Park, Ill., on July 22, 1945, son of the late Raymond and Eleanor (Kanehl) Lindeman.

 In addition to Marcy, his beautiful and caring wife of 54 years, Ray’s heart endures in his “favorite” (and only) daughter, Tiffany, and his “not so favorite son-in-law — at least, in the beginning,” Scott Morency of Greene, RI; his “favorite” (and only) son, Todd, and his wife, Jessica Lindeman of Summit, N.J.; his wonderfully talented and brilliant grandchildren, Caeden Morency, Ashton and Aelan Lindeman, all of whom he was “extremely proud,” and his two “big” sisters, Diane Lindeman and Norae Beasley, as well as many nieces, nephews and relatives.

Ray graduated high school in Arlington Heights, Ill., where he was a state champion in men’s gymnastics, excelling at the rings. Upon graduation, he entered the Air Force, and served in Vietnam and Thailand for four years. While serving, he suffered a disabling, degenerative injury that would become a part of him — and his physical struggles — for the rest of his life. He was honorably discharged in 1967.

After his return from service, he piloted planes across the East Coast and Midwest for Tasty Freeze ice cream. One of these business trips eventually landed him at a billiard hall in Kutztown, Pa. on July 20, 1969. That night, fate would introduce him to Marcy, the love of his life, at a mutual friend’s apartment where they watched man’s first step on the moon.

Upon that chance encounter, the two fell madly in love. After only two weeks, the lovebirds excitedly decided to take their own giant leap. They drove a borrowed car to Winchester, Virginia … and eloped. They were married by a Lutheran minister on Aug. 5, 1969, just days after their first kiss.

By the early 1970s, Ray and Marcy bought their starter house in Riverhead, NY, about 30 miles from where he proudly worked as an air traffic controller at MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma. Aviation was his other passion. He held onto his pilot license and even co-owned a single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft that he flew across the Northeast. He would later be one of more than 11,000 striking air traffic controllers who was fired in 1981 for protesting unsafe conditions. Left jobless, blacklisted from work, and struggling to make ends meet, he remained optimistic. He was always bold, principled and determined to find a way … and so he continued to find ways to provide for his family — at one point dredging for scallops in Peconic Bay or selling buttered rolls and coffee from a small Shasta camper parked at a gas station in Riverhead.

The Lindemans started anew in Coventry, RI, in 1985. There, Ray put his carpentry skills to use and helped build their home of nearly 40 years. He also earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Bryant College. Ironically, he would again become a federal worker. His love of numbers landed him a role as a bank auditor for the National Credit Union Administration, where he was employed for 25 years before retiring. In recent years, Ray still found ways to work … and give back. He volunteered for the Veterans Administration as a tax assistant to help fellow veterans.

Ray, affectionately known as Papa by his grandchildren, enjoyed cruises, traveling the world alongside Marcy, trips to Disney World with his family, all things golf, all things baseball (almost becoming the Chicago White Sox ball boy as a kid), the New York Yankees, his NCUA pals, movies, big laughs, keeping stacked boxes of detailed spreadsheets and records, Welch’s fruit snacks, Mega (mega mega) Stuff Oreos, mom’s cooking, Thursday night dinner dates, always that second piece of cake, and oft repeating one-liners from old TV shows and commercials …

Dad, you are now “in the front row.”

You will always be loved. And always by mom’s side.

Memorial donations may be made to: Providence VA Medical Center ATTN: Voluntary Service, 830 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, RI 02908. Please make checks out to Providence Veterans Affairs. Under “memo”, please include the following: in memory of Raymond Lindeman Jr., surviving wife Marsha Lindeman.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raymond Lindeman Jr., please visit our floral store.