Raymond Lorne Walter

Raymond Lorne Walter, 68, of Stoneham, MA passed away on July 18,2022 in Wilmington, MA. He was surrounded by family and friends in his final days.   Ray was born on October 10,1953 in Baltimore, MD. After spending his early years in Maryland, California and Kansas, his family moved to Wakefield, MA around 1962. He graduated from Wakefield High School in 1971, and went on to Salem State College where he graduated with a BS in Business Administration in 1978. His business degree allowed him to prosper in the printing industry, where he worked for more than 40 years– even continuing to help out at his former workplace after retirement.  While much of his time in the industry was spent working with electronic pre-press, he also filled roles doing other jobs such as running the printing press or binding the final product. He also assumed ownership of Sir Speedy, in Woburn, MA, from his parents, Maurice and Jean Walter.   In 1980, Ray married Heidi Graubart of Schenectady, NY. They moved to Wilmington, MA where they  raised two loving children, Daniel and Heather.   In 2000, Ray and Heidi split up, finalizing their divorce in
2002. The pair remained very close after their split, committed to creating two separate, but equally  loving, homes for their children.   In his free time, you could almost always find Ray out fishing with his closest friend and fishing partner,  Mike. He kept his fishing gear in his car all the time– always ready in case he stumbled on a new place to cast a line. Ray believed in catch-and-release, and was just happy to take the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery that nature had to offer. In addition to fishing, Ray always had an incredible artistic ability, spending his early years drawing, and his formative years woodworking. He spent hours upon hours whittling pieces of solid wood, obtained from various places, even the grapefruit tree in the backyard of the Wilmington house. He used a simple pocketknife or Exacto blade to transform these blocks of wood into delicate and polished wooden chains, scissors, and other intricate designs that seem impossible at first glance. These pieces are now prized possessions to those closest to him.  Family was one of the things most important to Ray. He worked tirelessly to provide for his children, and
made a point to enjoy family dinner once a week with his extended family until it wasn’t feasible any longer. In his last two years of life, Ray enjoyed spending his Saturdays with his granddaughter, Zoë, soaking up as much time as he could. He also stayed committed to caring for his parents, visiting twice a week and helping with errands, doctor’s appointments, and chores around the house. Unfortunately, Ray was predeceased by his mother, in 2015, and his father just three months before his own death.  Ray battled with emphysema for many years, and was eventually diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2017. He had many rounds of chemo and radiation, and two spinal surgeries. Unfortunately, the second surgery was too much, and his body succumbed to the disease.  Ray is survived by his sister Karen Harbage, his brother David, his children Heather and Daniel, his daughter-in-law Joni, and his granddaughter Zoë. The Walter family would like to extend their thanks to the team at Care One in Wilmington, MA for making Ray comfortable in his last days.